Latest creations

It's Vicki's turn for the sketch challenge this week at SBO and I instantly took a liking to it for the simple fact it had a circle, a huge circle element! I ended up flipping the sketch so my flourish didn't end up hiding the littlest girl in the photo! The lacy scalloped circle is adhered to a white background which is a bit hard to see.

This photo was taken of my kids and my friends kids after our end of year lunch at 'Off the Track' restaurant. Gone are the days of a picnic at the park, well, for my kids anyway, so now its 'doing lunch' instead. The great thing about this restaurant was that other than having a menu to suit all tastes and all budgets they had a wee play area, so that suited the little kids. I think the boys even had a bounce on the trampoline while the older girls sat on the grass and gossiped and us mums relaxed inside contemplating Christmas and the school holidays.

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This layout is based on a challenge at SBO too, this week we had to create a layout about winter and to try and include 2 of the 3 challenges from previous weeks (altered chipboard, create a tag and include ribbon). I managed to include all three challenges as I altered my chipboard tag with patterned paper, paint and bling and a ribbon tie. The tag was the perfect base for my title element. I was quite adventurous here and even made painted circles directly onto my page.

These photos are from 1995 and NO I am NOT sitting down having a pee as my daughter thought! I was pregnant at the time and so exhausted from the climb that I needed to rest. LOL

I am thoroughly enjoying all the challenges the SBO DT are offering and am even managing to make lots of page kits too. I am going to have a whole five days to myself soon so intend to use that time wisely and scrap scrap scrap.

Ribbon challenge layout

The latest mini challenge at SBO is to use ribbon on your layout (but NOT to just adhere it across the layout), and this is what I came up with...

The photo is not brilliant but you can see that I have actually attached the large heart to the cardstock frame with ribbons. I hope this is satisfactory for the challenge. I really like the shape of this heart (based on a Fiskars heart punch shape) and didn't want to stretch it to fit the whole inside frame so added a couple of elements to use up the space.

Scrappy challenges

If you are follower of my blog then you will know I like a scrapping challenge and especially love sketch challenges. Well the new DT at ScrapbookOutletNZ have started off the sketch challenges again with their Friday night sketches.

this week Megan posted this sketch...

this is the first layout I created using Megan's sketch of TJ finding another statue on a trip to Gisborne a couple of years ago. I used some older Kaisercraft patterned papers, Basic Grey and Adornit alphas, machine sewing, distressing, lots of buttons and my favourite 7 gypsies stamp.

this is the second layout I created this time adding some more photos and adding less embellishment down the right hand side. I used some Scenic Route patterned paper, cardstock, a random chipboard letter 'b' a Kaiser wooden flourish and some buttons.
These photos were taken whilst on a "Diva Tour" around Sydney. Friends and I boarded a bus with a lovely he/she diva chaperone who entertained us as we visited various Sydney sites. When we arrived at Bondi beach I was one of three from the group chosen to race along the sandy beach with balloons stuffed up our shirts. We had to b*tch-slap each other as we raced along (I quickly learnt how to do this!). I actually won the race - the only time I have EVER won a running race. Hilarious.

Sharon posted this sketch earlier on...

This is my first attempt at this layout but after a cheeky comment from a friend about the title I swapped the photo of me for three photos of Alyse swinging. LOL.

Believe it or not this is exactly the same layout the colours just photographed differently today. Anyway you can see I flipped the sketch around. I had recently cleaned out my ribbon jars and decided I need to use up some of the scraps so my ribbon sun/flower was created!

As at today...

I have raised just over $1160.00 for the Cranford Hospice so that has blown my $500 maximum expectations out of the water, I am absolutely stoked. A huge thank you to everyone who has donated to my fundraiser and for all the lovely comments about my new hairdo! (It is only one week since the 'trim' and I am hoping to get a new hairdo photo taken as the hair has grown already!

Here are some dressed chipboard pieces I have been creating for the latest SBO Mini challenge

This is an old Bazzill chipboard flower to which I glued a punched circle of girly MM wordfetti and then smothered it in dimensional magic and did some penlining around the edges.

I call these pretties the Turquoise Trio. I used three Scenic Route chipboard frames, painted them with turquoise paint then added bling, glitter and buttons. I can see these all being used on a layout about my daughter's bedroom decor which is turquoise and browns.

Three years ago today

some days it seems like only yesterday and other days it seems so long ago that we lost my dear Dad. (photo Father's Day 2004)

Today I remembered him by going ahead with my big haircut to raise money for Cranford Hospice.

I arrived at Great Cutz and Colour early and waited for my support crew to arrive, soon Mum turned up then the girls (Wendy, Lisa and Eleanor) and by this time I was shaking like a leaf.

Soon enough I was in the chair and Beryl the hairstylist was giving my head a good old shearing, she didn't muck about! Half way through I looked in the mirror and thought OMGosh I am so ugly but once all the hair was gone I was relieved to see that I had a pretty good shaped head and no pimples! LOL

Mum was very proud of me and has encouraged me all along helping with fundraising and ideas how to get more donations.

Other than this rear view in the mirror I still haven't seen the back of my head properly, should have asked Beryl to grab a big mirror, might get someone to photograph the back up close so I can really check my head shape!

We now have twins in the house, Ross gets a 'no-comb-clipper-cut' every week and even though he looks very serious in this photo he is proud too. Meanwhile Alyse and TJ have asked for more time to get used to the new look, but did allow me to go 'hatless' in the cafe this afternoon.

I have a selection of winter hats and scarves so I shouldn't get too cold, this is my 'going out' hat. I do feel chilly around the neck so must remember to pop a scarf in my handbag too.

Thank you to all my supporters and to everyone who has donated money, to date I have raised about $500 but still have other money pledged which will bring the total up to around the $850 mark which way exceeds my target. If you would like to donate please email me for details how you can do this (whinney@xtra.co.nz).