Where did the last month go - warning long post!!!

Last month has been mad with lots of fun scrapbooking activities thrown in with a crazy busy time at work and my birthday some where there in the middle.

So a quick run down of the last month it started with a fab weekend away with an annual Scrapbooking Retreat with 3 of my fav scrap buddies Margo, Kris & Lou shopping, eating and scrapbooking at the beach - thanks ladies a wonderful time with lots of laughs as always. This photo might give you some idea about our weekend - Bombay Blue Gin, lots of lollies & fruit to keep the healthy eating half of our weekend happy.....I did eat at least one piece of fruit over the weekend on the strict instructions of Miss Kris!!!

I hope we didn't scare the locals too much with trying to get some "interesting" photos taken down at the beach (well we are Scrapbookers!!) - Margo found this log and thought we should try to act like cowgirls on a bucking broncho!!!!...not sure if that is how the people walking that day saw it or not!!!

Then the school holidays turned up and it was 5 days up at Ohope Beach at our BIL's holiday home with a couple of other families for some sun and fishing....well the sun was a bit on the thin side but the 6 kids we had with us had a great time any way - give a kid a beach in any weather and they are happy. Bruce and the other guys got some fishing in, and I celebrated my 40- something birthday (now its closer to 50 than 40 I am being vague on the last digit!!) up there and enjoyed a change of scene with my girlfriends doing some relaxing, reading and shopping.

Got to play with my new toy - Canon EOS 400D while away and loved how I could take this photo out of our car window when my hubby was trucking along at 100k plus....and get a decent photo - love this camera - enjoying learning how to drive it.

I was also thinking when looking at this photo how incredibly luck I am to live in a country where we can ski on this mountain 2 hrs from my home and then we can drive another 3 hours and be at the beach in shorts & t-shirts...I guess that's one of the reasons they call New Zealand Gods Own country!!

I only had one weekend at home and then it was a long planned Girls weekend away in Wellington to celebrate Kelly R's 40th birthday which included a quick trip to SENZ to shop and do a class. We had a ball staying at an apartment right in the CBD which meant we had the shops and restaurants at our fingertips and boy did we give them a workout....the car was so full at our last stop we wondered if we'd get the last parcel in the car without everything else falling out. Thanks Kelly, Charlotte & Joy (who flew in from Melbourne) for a wonderful weekend.

Anyway its a long weekend and time to catch up on a lot of neglected bit and pieces, including my blog.....

So here is one of the layouts that I gave a sneaky pic of last time that was shown in the Lime Tart blog. Due to problems that Philippa has been experiencing in receiving product on time, and the fact that living in NZ I am the last to receive my kit, my work has featured on the blog, rather than the galleries.

Thanks to Tanya for giving me the idea for this title...its a goodie!!

I have been working with the Half Tart this month...so here are a few sneak pics of my work - which you will find at the Lime Tart Zest blog shortly.

A canvas for a change....for some reason blogger has decided to turn it on its side and I can't fix it.....grrr....

Loved the mix of the green & blue patterned papers in the kit....

Using some yellow patterened papers in this one which is a stretch for me...I find this colour hard to work with.....but when you have a large yellow cartoon character in there it works.

Hope everyone enjoys the nice long weekend....

Lime Tart September Kit

My layouts for September are running a bit late as product was delayed in getting to Philippa who does an amazing job of putting the kits together and getting them out to the DT and sent onto the subscribers.....so my designs are a bit late getting up on the Lime Tart website.

Working with the full kit this month and its stunning, right up my alley with vintage looking papers from Websters. Hadn't heard of this paper range before but I will certainly be keeping an eye out for them in future. While they have a vintage feel I think the more modern pictures I have used with them show they can be used in lots of ways.

Vintage layout first up (my Mum Fay at about age 7)......close up shot shows lovely chocolate and pink combo of pp. The wee chipboard birds on a tree branch...just so cute, and the lovely cream paper lace in the kit (there is a green and chocolate brown one as well).

Next layout is with a modern twist - I just love my sons long eyelashes (I can confess to once putting mascara on them when Taylor was about 3 or 4 years old to see just how gorgeous they would have been on a girl....shh....don't tell him he might not be too impressed with this story getting out).....anyway have been meaning to do a layout showing off these lovely long lashes for some time....

Have done another couple of layouts over the weekend....but will give Lime Tart a chance to get them uploaded before putting them up here...but I will leave you with a couple of sneaky pics....

Will come back and post again once I can reveal the layouts.

It's been a while!!!

Where did that 6 weeks go??? My excuse (because I feel like I need one) is that work and life have been busy and I had a pretty nasty fall in the shower a few weeks back which knocked out a whole week somewhere in there.

Have to say my family definitely get this record the moments bit because I heard my hubby saying as the ambulance officers were carrying me out to the ambulance that Jo would probably want this photographed - do you think I should get her camera!!! Well he was partly right, certainly the 1st stage which was me sprawled naked in bottom of said shower would not have been welcome....but the ambulance bit would have been okay.....

Any way I can look back now and laugh...its wasn't so funny at the time as I thought I had broken my leg.

I was forced to stay home for a week but was unable to use any of this time for scrapbooking purposes as I had a nasty trauma to my hamstring & just below my bottom - which meant I couldn't sit for the week I had at home, had to lie propped up on one arm....this meant I couldn't scrap.....darn it all.... Anyway long excuse over, I am just about right and have a new respect for those non-slip rubber mats you are meant to have in the bottom of the shower!

So onto some scrapbooking news......thought I had better post a few layouts as a catch up...

Sneak pics of layouts that I had posted in July are now well and truly up at Lime Tart so here they are:

Love this photo of Taylor and my Mum.....and we had these cute birds to use in the July kit - so I came up with this title "Birds of a Feather flock together" to symbolish how close their relationship is!!!

This is an old 2005 photo of Taylor with a bear he and his Gran had just made (on the right).....I thought about this photo when I saw the wee quotes in the July kit and this particular quote

was by Winnie the Pooh...so perfect for this photograph.....don't get to use pink very often with mainly scrapping my boy...but I think I got away with it with using the black cardstock and ledger paper!!!

The kits had a great set of mini quote notes in it....so designed this mini album around the rest of them called "Quotes to live by"

Taylor and his great mate and cousin Michael having a great laugh together


My favourite photo of Taylor as a baby asleep in his cot so "Dream Little Angel" seemed like a great title for this page!!!

Great quote about friendship....so used a photo of my scrap buddies at a weekend away.

Using the August kit I finally scrapped the first of our photos from our Aussie holiday.....Taylor with his Super Hero mates.....so the title is "When I grow up I want to be a Super Hero!!!"

I also did a step by step project for Lime tart this month and decided to embellish this CD holder to keep all Taylor's portfolios that come home on CD from his Digitial Year 6 class (a sign of the times)

Finally....I'll leave you with some work I've recently done for Fiskars for the August challenge which was using paint...

A layout showing the beautiful sunsets we get at "Our Happy Place" - our summer holiday spot - Kawa Kawa Bay.....its feels great to have a bit of sunshine today and feel that those summer days might not be too far away....

So thats the end of a long post from me and I won't leave it so long between posts again!!!

New Lime Tart Gallery up tomorrow

Lime Tart has exciting news - their kits are now available for purchase in the US click here for full details http://www.limetart.com/products/index.php?main_page=page&id=10


The Lime Tart Design team has also been expanded to include a wonderful range of very talented scrapbookers & cardmakers from the US to join the existing DT - go to the Lime Tart blog for links to all these ladies personal blogs.....some fantastic talent....spent some time blog surfing and get to know them....I just know you are going to enjoy all the stunning work they will produce for the Lime Tart Gallery in the coming year.

Finally some sneaky pictures of my work using the July Full Tart kit......simply yummy product to work with as usual....Philippa really knows how to put a stunning kit together....can't wait to see what the rest of our newly expanded DT have come up with.....

Catching up, and a chance to Win with Fiskars

Long time no blog......been very busy with work and preparing for the Girls Day Out scrapbooking fundraiser for Taylor's school. The day was fantastic and looks like we might have an annual event on our hands.....watch my blog for future info.

Thank you so much to all our sponsors

Fiskars, Stampin Up, Xyron, Whitcoulls, Epics, Plastic Box, Spotlight, Footloose Shoes, Scrapbook Alley, Sister Act, Up2Scrap, Kiwiscraps, Warehouse Stationery

Also a big thanks goes out to our willing helpers from the Russell Street Supports Club (PTA) Maria, Rachel, Jane, Brian, Gail and my Mum Fay who did the home baking and serving...without them we wouldn't have been able to put on such a wonderful afternoon tea, dinner & supper!!!

And finally a huge thank you to Margo who paid to come along with her daughter Jade for a Mother/daughter day out, and then spent hours helping Charlotte out in the 2 kids classes....Margo you are a star!!!! (waving).

Here a quick picture of the school hall is decorated and ready for our 50 scrapbookers to arrive and enjoy their day.

Girls Day Out finished hours before the family and I jumped a very early morning flight to the Gold Coast for a week. Had a great time, wonderful weather, great Resort and the 10 year adored the theme parks and the trip to Australia Zoo, some typical "I've been to Aussie pictures below":

Who doesn't love a photo with a super hero!!!!!

How about the matching hats purchased at Australia Zoo - the Burney boys will apparently be sporting them when ever they go fishing in future (great ear protection apparently). I blame my brother Phil who has a Crocodile Hunter version complete with teeth that Taylor has always loved. That snake was BIG - I wasn't going anywhere never it!!! And Scooby doo....Taylor is a huge fan and loved having his photo taken with "the Gang"

Before I sign off Fiskars are running a competition on their blog....so rush over and submit a comment you might win http://fiskarscraft.typepad.com/my_weblog/2008/07/around-the-worl.html

Bye for now....will be back shortly with a Lime Tart teaser....their new gallery is up on the 14th...and they have exciting news for scrappers in the US!!!...more later!!!

June Sketch Challenge on Fiskars blog

The Fiskars girls have a challenge over on the Fiskars Ambassadors blog throughout June. Trina has supplied a great sketch and we were all asked to scrap our version of it...I had recently been sent the 'Be Loved' paper range by Heidi Grace and had been meaning to scrap this photo of Taylor and I taken at my birthday last year - so it seemed they were meant to be together (dark photo and gorgeous bright pinks & lime)......I don't think he was very thrilled with the title 'You Will always be my baby' but whenever I see a photo of us cuddling like this....thats always what comes to mine......So here is my layout.....

We were also been challenged to use embossing in our design using the Fiskars Scrap Boss - I used a cute butterfly in my layout (below)

Go on over to the Fiskars Ambassadors blog to see the fantastic work being up loaded all month using this sketch.

Girls Day Out Scrapbooking Extravaganza

As mentioned earlier I am involved in a fundraiser for Taylor's school....details below

Girls Day Out Scrapbooking Extravaganza

Russell Street School Hall

21st June 2008 from 1pm to 9pm

Cost for the day is $35

This fundraising event is being run by local Scrapbooking Tutors, Kelly Rotherham, Charlotte Whitta & Jo Burney along with many Scrapbooking, Stamping and Card making businesses who are donating product and time toward the success of this day.

You will enjoy 8 hours of uninterrupted scrapbooking time with plenty of space to work. All the fun and inspiration will be provided for you to be able to relax and have a fantastic day out. A delicious home made afternoon tea, dinner and supper will be served through out the afternoon and evening.

There will be free Gift Packs, Raffles, Challenges and Prizes as well as Demonstrations of new products along with fabulous product for sale. Beginners attending are free to join in a beginners class starting @ 1.30m with Jo Burney.

This is a fun Girls Day Out (thought boys are welcome) and Students 10+ are welcome to book and attend with their parents. Students attending for the full day event must be fully booked and NO bookings will be taken for under 16's unless accompanied by a parent or guardian who is also booked into the event.

Bookings may only be made with full payment and can be paid in person a the School Office with cash only. For Direct Credit payments please email kellyrotherham@xtra.co.nz for bank details. For any enquires contact Kelly or Jo or go to www.russellst.school.nz

Childrens Classes

In order for parents to enjoy the day, we are also offering two Children's classes for 7-12 years of age in the afternoon - Class 1 starts @ 1pm and Class 2 @ 3pm @ cost of $10 per class (Class 1 & Class 2 are two different projects). Children attending both classes will be offered afternoon tea. There are limited spots available for these children's classes and they will be offered to parents attending the Scrapbooking Day first. Children's classes finish at 4.45pm and all children must be collected by a parent to return home.

So I think that gives you a good picture regarding what a fantastic day we will be having....if you are a paper crafter we would love to see you there.