So whaddya know?

I am looking forward to a long Queens Birthday weekend spent decluttering.

I have a scrapping cupboard full of supplies that need purging, a hot water cupboard full of linen that I never use and a pot cupboard and pantry that need a good sorting out.

Wish me luck and don't panic if I don't post again soon, I have only gotten knocked out by all the junk on the top shelf of said pantry or am trying to claw my way out of the avalanche of linen falling out of the HW cupboard!! (I am sure one of my family members will come looking for me when they can't find the SKY remote, or when the gas bottle runs out and needs refilling).

Roll on June 1st when ScrapbookOutletNZ announces their new Design Team.

Meanwhile if you are looking for some scrapping challenges over the weekend then check out these challenges from Neen over on the SBO forum...

Challenge 1
May is New Zealand Music Month... so I wana see a layout using either the title or part of the lyrics from a kiwi song as your title

Happy scrapping and remember every layout loaded for this before the end of the month goes in the draw for a prize from Andrea.

Challenge 2
OK so this is a tricky one... but it's meant to be a challenge right...

I want you to scrap the cr*p... a page about the not so shiny rainbows side of life. The things that annoy you, your personal demons, the loss of a loved one, the or even the time that the kids set the mailbox on fire.

Load you layout to the gallery remember every layout loaded for this before the end of the month goes in the draw for a super prize from Andrea.

Challenge 3
every day as I drive to work I pass all these cool buildings and think "I needa take a photo of that theatre"...
So I decided to work this weeks challenge around this...

I want you to scrap your daily routine.
Work it in a waking to sleep fashion, even hour by hour as much as you can...

Once again all the layouts for this will go in the draw for a prizey at the end of the month

Challenge 4
sniff sniff... this is my last official duty on the SBO DT... wahhhh

But hey I'm strong. I'll make it... after all I'm a Waikato girl. We're good ol fashion salt of the earthers roung here in fast... heres my last challenge.

This weekend the Waikato Chiefs take on the Bulls in South Africa for the Super 14 title. I wanna see the colours RED, BLACK AND YELLOW on a page.

Of course it doesn't have to be about rugby at all... just use the mighty Waikato colours as your inspiration and pallette.
You can use other colours but I wanna be able to clearly see those 3 there.


You can see my two layouts for challenge 1 in my last blog post and I have started on one for challenge 2. (will upload next time).

Layouts

Ok this is a warning, there are quite a number of layouts here so I don't blame you if you just skim passed this blog post, but I wanted them posted so I can look back later and see what I have been creating. Please excuse the flash burn on some of the layouts. I have not linked up anything here as I have run out of time. (btw - there are only 17 of the 20 layouts I completed at the AE retreat, plus three recent challenge layouts, three are to be kept secret for now)

Kim Archer had us hand-stitching the fabric for this layout. My stitches are pretty haphazard but I wanted to get the layout finished so just went for it. The black spot is a chipboard HS embellishment as are the butterflies. I couldn't bring myself to use contact paper for the scallop piece at the top and I used matching buttons from my stash not the pink, green and grey ones in the kit. Kim didn't mind the changes she is a lovely easy going lady and even though the class was called Fast Furious and Fabulous it was also FUN.

I don't know what I was thinking using the spotty pp, I suppose it matched the pink in Alyse's babysuit and the spots on my sweatshirt! LOL Thank goodness you can only see a wee bit of it! I do have a thing for flourishes and bling at the moment, long may it continue! This layout is for Alyse's baby album, another photo I missed (*see below). You may recall seeing a layout with the same title on a previous blog post (that one is for my album, this one for Alyse's).

I went virtual 'scrap supplies shopping' for a challenge at SBO and 'bought' staples, handwriting and orange cardstock, and created a little 6x12 layout for TJ's album. This photo taken at his 13th birthday family dinner.

Neen challenged us (at SBO) to create a layout for NZ Music Month (May) using any NZ song lyrics or title for our layout title. This is a Dave Dobbyn & the Herbs song that I sing now and then which suited this delish vanilla tower slice that I love. I think this is a Pagemaps sketch too.

This is a favourite layout and was my second one for Neen's music challenge. The journalling is hidden behind the photo, not so much because it is private but because I didn't want to detract from the layout. LOL

This is one of the layouts form Kim Archer's class, I chose photos of Alyse's toys over the years from the play gym, soft toys, dolls (including a pregnant Barbie & Ken family) to one of many cellphones! LOL

I love love love this layout. I used a Precious Pages kit by Trina. I showed Trina the finished layout at the AE retreat and she was very happy with how it turned out, so am I!

A quick and easy layout design for this fun photo of TJ and his mate burning some rubbish (just for fun) in the backyard. We seem to constantly have a burnt patch on our back lawn!

Well you couldn't get much easier than this layout design. The "home" emb spot is from a Kim Archer online class "Create to Recreate". The blue alphas and spot stickers are ancient Warehouse purchases.

I used one of Trina's sketches for this layout, I thought I had completed Alyse's first year album but then I got all the 1993 negatives scanned to CD and found this one I had missed*.
I know dummies aren't for everyone but we used one and it was a life saver (hers or ours??? LOL).

Here is that baby girl now all growed up and holding her new little god-brother Tasman. (excuse the flash burn on the layout).

I have scrapped these photos already for Alyse's album, so this layout is for TJ's album, what a icky photo of his marshmallow dribbles and bubbles! LOL

This layout is to preserve the memory of our play on words, "ouch that hoyts (hurts)". When TJ and I went back to the Sylvia Park mall to stage the photo, the security guard came rushing up and told us "NO photos!" Apparently it is against the rules in case another mall uses our photos and copies the ideas! WHAT??? crazy!!! We explained what we were doing and he let us keep our photo!

To start with there was nothing "St Patricks" about this layout at all except for the colours, so I punched three hearts to make the clover embellishment. More old photos scrapped, yaaay!

A little 6x12 layout with a handmade embellishment of a Red Band gumboot! hehehe. I had to add a few little red bling rhinestones to dress up this photo of Alyse's fave gumboots. Not the pretty litte flowery boots for my size 11 girl! I have the smallest feet in my family, Ross and TJ have mens size 10 and mine are a women's size 9!

a few circles on this layout of my boy and another mate making baking soda/vinegar volcanoes.

hmmm this is one of my least fave layouts but I love this funny photo of me in my new dressing gown. I love the patterned paper but didn't really know how to use it. No probs, its another memory scrapped.

Based on a Pagemaps sketch this layout is about how DD needed a little help along the way (IYKWIM). The journalling doesn't tell the whole story but will be a reminder to her of a recent problem. LOL

Ross went to the Chatham Islands with 10 mates last year and he took a heap of photos, this however is the only photo of him but its a good one! The CD of all the other photos is tucked in a pocket on the back side, but I have printed 200 of them and slipped them in one of those pocket albums for him to show off to his other mates.

This is the third layout from Kim's AE class. Kim gave us a basic layout design and told us to "go for it" using any/all of the scraps from the first two layouts (seen above).

Autumn Escape - we had a blast!

I have been putting off this blog post about the Autumn Escape retreat as I didn't know where to start, but in the end thought that it was best to start at the beginning! LOL

Wendy and I headed off on the journey to Taupo about 9.30ish stopping along the Napier-Taupo Road for a late morning tea of hot scones with jam and cream and a hot drink (mine was a delicious hot chocolate with whipped cream and three marshmallows). We arrived in Taupo after talking excitedly the whole way. (sorry if I dominated the conversation Wendy, next time tell me to shut up!).

mmmm delicious especially enjoyed by a warm fire

We did a wee spot of shopping, bought some sweets and headed off to the movies to see Last Chance Harvey. I am sure we were the youngest people in the theatre. There were many elderly couples there! I suppose it is not often us Mums get a chance to go to the movies in the afternoon, but if you get a chance DO IT!

After the movie we headed out to the Wairakei Resort, booked in and headed off to check out the room. OMGosh we had a double bead each and on the end of each bed was a gift pack of goodies including a Mills n Boon book (didn't have time to read as I just fell in to bed each night and was soon in the land of nod).

ahhhh pure luxury a whole comfy bed each

the first of many freebies

Registration opened at 5pm, so we very shyly made our way down to the house bar meeting up with some online friends on the way. We found Nic and Kim and picked up our registration packet (tickets to the make n takes and the Kim Archer class, oh and a menu aka plan of events for the weekend). The organisation that had gone into this retreat was amazing, all the little things sorted out so we could have the most relaxed weekend ever.

Wendy and I headed back into Taupo for a pizza takeaway, but I was too worried about getting back in time for the official opening that I didn't get to eat my dinner until much later (stashed it in Wendy's tote) LOL


OMGoodness, these are the goodies that were waiting on our crop table, both Wendy and I just sat there with our jaw dropping lower and lower as we fondled the goodies. The tables were decorated beautifully complete with silver stars and pretty flowers sprinkled around, and balloon centrepieces. The little white tin was filled with handmade fudge! All the little touches were much appreciated.

Table decorations were gorgeous

what a haul of goodies to be found waiting for us in the crop room

sliver stars and beautiful flowers galore, just for the taking

cutting time during a make n take

The crop room started to fill up, I think there were about 70 of us, still plenty of rooom even though most people brought their whole stash along! LOL Throughout the weekend there were Make n Takes using Pink Paislee, Prima, Tattered Angels and Stampin Up products. The sponsors were very generous. Must photograph the make n takes I made and upload them too.

There were spot prize giveaways all weekend and three games on the Friday night based on the old Generation Game, you know where the prizes moved along on a conveyor in front of the contestant. Well the AE version was having 15 scrappers standing in a row each holding a prize. Wendy's name was pulled out of the basket to be the first to walk along the row and try to memorize as many prizes as possible in 30seconds! She was so nervous but those nerves didn't stop her remembering 12 of the 15 prizes! What a haul my friend! We weren't allowed to call out any clues except "cuddly toy" just like they did in the original Bruce Forsyth version of the game. LOL

Wendy's winnings from the Generation Game

I cannot forget the lollies, the bowls on the table were kept constantly filled with lollies, milk bottles were my favourite and I have to admit my teeth had that furry feeling by the end of each night!

I don't think I got to bed before midnight each night and thankfully slept till at least 7am. Breakfast was included in the package and what a great way to start the day. A buffet of cooked food, cereal, yoghurt, fruit, and even porridge with brown sugar and cream to choose from. Morning and afternoon tea and supper and a buffet lunch were also included in the package and they were oh so delicious too. No need for dinner after the constant flow of food. LOL

feeling quite relaxed at the end of Kim's class

Saturday saw Wendy and I (and many others) attending a class with Kim Archer, the most heard comments after the class were "and we managed to finish all three layouts too" so they can go straight in the album not sit unfinished in my UFO pile!

I can't forget to tell you about the shop and the lovely shop lady (there were other words for her but this is the politest)... Lynda was on hand to add our purchases to a tab, only taking a break now and then to eat and visit the bathroom, oh and to hassle us all into spending more! Many of the products used in the class were on sale and at reasonable prices, I only overspent my shopping budget by a few dollars. There were many layouts and OTP's on display to inspire us to use the products, such a clever design team indeed.

I created a total of 20 layouts over the weekend (including the three class layouts) some still require journalling, so will photograph those soon and upload here. I was very pleased with all but two of them and they were the first two I created, I put that down to my nerves so I couldn't really concentrate on them.

Tanya Greenwood from the new innovation magazine turned up to judge the layouts submitted for an upcoming issue of the magazine. I'm not sure how many were chosen but I know my one was! Very happy scrapper indeed. I cannot share any sneak peeks as I didn't even photograph it before submitting it. We were all given a copy of issue one of innovation - if you haven't seen an issue yet make your way to the nearest stockist, it is just like a book, very professional indeed. Many of the layouts (all beautifully photographed too) were created by some of the lovely ladies I met over the weekend (many I had met before)! As I had already won a sub to the magazine I will be sharing my free copy with another scrapping friend.

We packed up and said our goodbyes after lunch (oh and after the group photo - see the AE blog), leaving for home about 2pm, tired but oh so inspired.

If you do nothing else over the next few months you must save your money for the 2010 Autumn Escape, keep an eye on the blog for the announcement of the next retreat, Nic and Lucy are the hostesses with the mostess!

All packed and ready to go

I slept in till just after 4am and have been pottering around packing the last minute things (phone and battery chargers and of course the rescue remedy lozenges)!

I don't know if my rumbly tum is from nerves, excitement or lack of breakfast!

It is (Inter) National Scrapbooking Day this weekend (Saturday in the U.S.A) so hope you all get some time to scrap. Of course I am hoping to scrap over the weekend too, so need to get over my nerves FAST and work on scrapping all of those page kits (now have 31 kits packed)!

Autumn Escape here we come! (Well in a couple of hours I will be off to pick up Wendy and make our way to Taupo. We may even take in a movie till our room is ready at the resort!

Andrea, thank you so much for making this trip possible through the Amazing Race competition!