How exciting was the cyber crop at SBO the other night!! Only Elsie Flannigan was the mystery guest...although I think most of us had guessed!! Her 1st challenge was a 30 minute layout with doodling on a layout....eeek!!! I've never done a layout in 30 minutes in my life...and still havn't rofl!! This took me 45 minutes by the time the paint had dried...it usually takes me that long to choose my colour cardstock...hmm looking at it the next morning i could sort of tell it was a rush job, especially the title that looks like the kids did but it was fun and I like it... Thanks Andrea and Elsie for giving us kiwi scrappers a wee thrill on a Friday night!

I was so excited also to be asked to be the guest designer for the March kit at SBO too!! I think everyones a little worried for me cause there appears to be quite a bit of pink in the kit and wondering how I'm going to use it seeing as most of my photo subjects are of the male variety...hee, hee all the more fun it should be then!!



This reminds me...being surrounded by males, small, large... and small and hairy...well, farts are often a great source of hilarity in this household and today there I was looking through the MM idol entries and saw one I really liked and googled the artists name to see some more of her cool work and found this was her original entry but she decided not to enter it in the end...how flippin hilarious...a fart layout!!made my day that did...oh well dosn't take much sometimes does it lol!


It was hot enough to even get me in the pool at mum and dads today along with Patrick, the one discovering that hanging your tongue out like a dog really does help you cool off



I also caught Nana and Mr Bum Bum discussing the benefits of putting suncream on your cheeks!

Well I got off my chuff last night and actually did what I said I was going to do... a layout for the Scrapjack challenge....I just switched off and did it without trying to think of a hundred different other ways I 'could' be doing it and it came together in a jiff! A miracle for me!

This is what I have been pottering along with since doing Trinas online class at SBO...it was supposed to be for Valentines (rofl! cause I'm horribly slow at altering stuff) so it is now for our wedding anniversary in April. Just got a few more pages to do with pics of me in! By the way it is a Maya Rd "Love" chipboard book with some loverly urbanlily papers and an assortment of other bits and bobs!

I've had a big wadge of felt in different colours in my drawer for ages and yay! I finally used some on my layout for Dare #16

Had me going for a bit this dare as I had nothing much black and white in the paper stash until I hit on the idea of using a comic strip...Calvin and Hobbes are so cute and clever! Turns out the hardest part was trying to get a decent pic of it to show the cool font, which I didn't really succeed in doing as its a bit small but if you would like to download if for free...go here

Talking of free...not often you get an online class for free but at Poppy ink you can! You don't need the kit, do what I do when I'm cooking....just wing it with whatever is in your cupboard lol! The next class is by the fabulous Amber Skolnick...go here for details. Amber has also been Scrapjacked this week, she has such a fun style I think I might just have to give it a go and play too this round!!

Joseph and Patrick watched Sharkboy and Larvagirl on DVD this afo in 3D...I thought it was a great movie for their age group...full of action and a moral behind the story....they loved it.

An impromptu picnic tea at the park tonight, enjoying the summer evening, supported our local eateries and got pizza to go from the old courthouse cafe in Huntly, if you are ever passing by down SH1 and are feeling peckish give maccas a miss and head here instead...the pizzas are fresh and delicious!


The boys got out their bikes and Jim showed off a few tricks....


Dat!....is Samuels favourite word at the moment, which (of course!) means... whats that? The 'dat in this case was ducks...funny how little kids just love ducks!

and here he is having a little quiet moment with his digger when he got home.

Yes I will be posting the NZdares result for Dare #15 tomorrow after our wee hiccup lol...so stay tuned if you entered a layout as there will be a draw for the prize pack from SE (thanks Meg!)

and Jo has posted up Dare #16...its a goodie!

Have you checked out Scrapjacked...lots of fun there...

So what have I been scrapping this week...well I took Trinas 'all about love' class over at SBO
earlier in the week...gorgeous kit, great instructions, a fun nights chat and scrapping...and yes I am still working on my project which was supposed to be for Jim for valentines heh,heh but I had high ambitions there so wedding anniversary in April me thinks...I'm halfway so will post some peeks soon!

Should have been working on it tonight but Jims dad (Hi Pop!) tapes and sends over the most recent series of Top Gear from the UK so have been watching that instead...it was a very funny episode and I couldn't tear myself away....for the shame choosing a car programme over scrapbooking whatever next lol!

Hooray for jelly snakes!!

Patrick has been given a little incentive of his favourite sweet Allens naturals jelly snakes everytime he has dry pull ups in the morning....and it worked a 'treat' lol! he has had 3 dry nights in a row! Go P!

This was my scrapping effort this weekend



my take on a chicken pox layout....for the fortnightly challenge over at SE...use whitecardstock as a background...still on an orange and blue burst!

Also completed my layout for the next dare at NZDares....but that ones a secret for now hee hee...

Speaking of which...Meg at SE is sponsoring a fabulous prize for Dare 15...so rattle ya dags and ya scrapping supplies and create something for the hot/cold theme....dare ends this Wednesday 6pm...

I found the photo I was looking for....the one photo I would choose to take to the desert island with me...and while I was looking I found this one too....



I love them both....do you think the customs man on the desert island would know if I smuggled two in ha ha!!

Joseph had a happy first day back at school...reportedly his teacher is 'much more fun than last years and makes work seem like play'!!! Go her!! She had their names set up on the desks along with a welcome letter at each place and his seat is next to three of his friends so all is good and they went swimming so a great start to the year!

I've become a big sook lately....I discovered this the other day when I started choking up while watching Poohs Heffalump movie with the boys....this followed having a good sniffle with Joseph while watching Spirit previously and bawling my eyes out during the mini series last week called "The incredible journey of Mary Bryant"....I never used to need tissues when I watched movies....is this what happens when you hit mid-thirties rofl!!

New Autumn Leaves blog up following the launch of their new book called the Look Book, which is aimed at helping you to develop your own scrapping style....they are posting weekly challenges like they did with the Freestyle blog...check it out it looks like fun.

Their first challenge is 'to use the things that you love' on a page...so I've started by making a list of things I love to use or do at the moment...

Chipboard letters or handcut letters
my black zig pen to doodle or highlight
water colour paints
light and bright colour
journal boxes
polka dots
multiple photos
cutting the pattern out of pattern paper
I love pics with movement or a sense of humour
experimenting
stars

The Effer dares also have an interesting challenge this week....if you were stranded on a desert island but were able to choose one photo to have with you, which would it be and why? I've been searching my pics for one I know I have but can't find it!! will post it if I come across it....says something about my photo organization dosn't it lol!

Hope everyone has a peaceful Waitangi day tomorrow....

This is my layout for Dare #15 ...a sizzling summery theme this time and lots of good ones coming up too....if you havn't already come on over and join in!!

Do you do Valentines at your place...we don't...although I did make Jim a card last year...hurrumph, sometimes the girly within just cannot be kept down hee hee....but anyway if you do Valentines check out the cute little cookie idea at kiddley (scroll down to Thursday).