Saying Goodbye to Kassie........

I love you..............

Scrapping Frenzy............

So last week I was home sick a fair bit with a really bad cold. I had some time on my hands a basicaly went into a low down and dirty scrapping frenzy. My partner was away for the week and I literally set up a scraproom in the lounge on the couch infront of the DVD player. I watche movies abd scrapped a huge portion of the week away. it's a good thing, it forced me to rest, just sitting around and scrapping. I had a great week! Here is some of the results of the week. a couple are ones I had done before but had never posted. Let me know what you think.

Mel xxxx

First Dare..........

So a few weeks back, I was lucky enough to be chosen as a Creative Team Member over at Aussie Dares. Our first dare was Glue/Adhesives, and boy what a challenge. This is what I came up with, a small cute canvas. Pop over to the site to check out what the rest of the creative team produced.

Mel xxxx

Here it is.....

Sorry girls, I have been at work all day, so here is a picture of my birthday present to myself. I bought myself a snowflake pendant from Tiffany's. I just love it and it is so me. I have been sporting around my neck for two days now, along with my snowflake earrings. (can you see a pattern forming???) I so live in the wrong country!!!! hehe

Anyhoo, have a fantastic weekend, have many birthday events to go to this weekend, so have a lovely time, I will, see you all soon!

Mel

x

A little excursion......

I took myself on a little birthday excursion to the city to visit Tiffany's. I wanted to get myself something to celebrate, and looked around for ages. Let me say ladies, there are some extremely nice pieces there, but just a little bit more than I had imagined. I'm not naive in thinking they would be cheap or anything (I mean they want to attract a certain clientele), but I am surprised to say that you cannot get yourself anything for under $100. I did come away with a little something for myself, and I really mean a little something, but I love it, it is so very me. I shall take a bit of the item in question once I have found it something to hang on. Until then here a teaser.....

Don't you just love that duck egg blue and white????

Mel

xx

Surprise...

Do I have the best man ever or what. Today is my birthday, and as always, I sleep later than he does, he kissed me goodbye his morning and wished me a Happy Birthday. When I finally got up I wandered into the kitchen to find this..........

Not only had he made me a cake, he'd done it without me even knowing about it, and had hand cut a stencil to write Happy Birthday Mel on top of the cake in icing sugar. He's so sweet. I am truly so blessed to have him in my life. Without a doubt.

Have a fantastic Wednesday!

Mel

xx

Sigh............

This is what I was doing one year ago!!! Aaaahhh the memories.........

Mel

x

Aussie Dares........

So my other exciting news is that I earned a position as a part of the creative team over at Aussie Dares. Don't for get to stop by and check out the challenges each month and maybe even have a go yourself sometime!

Have a wonderful Friday and a fabulous weekend.

Mel

xx

Some exciting News, and a funny story..........

Ok, lets start with the exciting news!!!! I was woken this morning to the phone ringing (for those that know me it was still only 8:58 am, not to late yet!!!!) I answered and was greeted by Cassie from Scrapbooking Memories letting me know that I had made Top 50 for Masters this year!!! I held it together while I was on the phone, but the second I hung up, I literally fell out of bed in my rush to run around and whoo at the top of my voice!!

Cut to like only 30 sec later, I have txt'd my friend Jen to share the exciting news, at the same time, I am arching up the puter to log onto SBM forum, and let me tell you it was probably only 1min time lapses, but baby it wouldn't open fast enough!!!

As you can tell I am excited, just a little too much really, but it is party day!!!!! 

So to my funny story.........well sort of anyway! I had to leave all this excitement and go have a haircut, and I thought while I was at the shops, would take a dress I have with me, and try to find some flabby girl scaffolding to wear under neath to make my shape at least a little bit less lump!! Right........

So I go into bras and things........The lovely little shop girl, asks if I need help, told her the scaffolding joke...she didn't get it.......She points me in the direction of some wetsuit looking contraptions, and explains what they do. She asks 'what size would you be", I'm a little flattered, cos I'm really I'm no super model! I say probably an 18..........'hmmmm I don't think they go any larger than a 16' she says. Try them and see how you go, so I take them into the change room, wriggle and writhe my way into them, feeling the blood drain out of my legs as they are so tight round the leg..........let me see, yes they do what they say they do, flat tummy, no muffin top, turn side ways and..........OMG, they have worked at the front, only to create a bulge at the back that wasn't there when I left for the shops!!! What the?????

Needless to say I have come home with nothing and feeling very demoralised, I might just have to comfort myself with some potato gems and sour cream.......

It's not all bad though, went whizzing around a few shops, and bought a few tops and pants that look great! So really, was a fantastic day, as I hardly ever find more than one thing I like that fits at a time....

have a great day!!

Oh come back tomorrow for some more exciting news!!

Mel

x

Latest DT project.......

Hi everyone. I just wanted to post a picture of my latest design team effort over at Scraptivate. It is a 12x 10 inch flat canvas that I have used lots of colour washes in order to build up my background. I knew I wanted an image of a faerie of sorts and managed to find this fantastic image on the net. Once I had adhered her with gel medium I set out with my water soluble crayons to add both depth and light and shade to the canvas. Also added a little under the girl herself to ground her to the picture. The foreground foliage is all build up using various stamps. And then last but not least I wanted her to live under a sky full of stars, so used the new tiny chipboard stars from Collections. Let me know what you think, and if you loved to see her up close and in the flesh, she now lives at Scraptivate for a while! 

Mel

x

A stamp Giveaway......

Check out these cool stamps here BLOG.

Mel 

xx

Idol week 7........

So ladies, I have finished my week seven Idol page. What do you think? It's really going to be a tough week, 8 incredible scrappers and only a few votes??? what the? What ever will we do. Don't forget to pop by the forum over the weekend and vote for your faves.

Mel

xx

Wow..........

So I some how have made it through the week six voting for Embellished Idol, and am currently working on my week seven LO. Thanks to everyone who may have voted for me, I actually can't believe I have made it this far. This is the third year I have been a contestant and I am so excited as I have never made it this close to the end. 

So this week is going to be huge. We are down to 8 incredibly talented women who scrap like the devil. I mean really how are we going to be able to choose this week, it is really going to be quite impossible really.

So apart for Idol, not much else has been going on in my life really. I have been working a fair bit of late, and not had much time for much else. I am looking forward to a weekend off. A whole weekend???? wow that would be amazing. I have started to think about some birthday plans. I am actually going to be in Perth for my birthday this year ( not that I really wanted to be) I had a secret plan to spent every birthday in my 30's some place other than home, but this year has escaped me. I am actually going to Melbourne in December to Heidi Swapp's big scraptacular day, so maybe I buy my plane ticket on my birthday and that will sorta seem like something?.........maybe. Hehe, nah, might be nice to spend this one with my family and my friends for a change. 

Well have big plans for my Wednesday, I am growing to love Wednesdays alot!!! It is my big creating day!!! No other plans but to play in my studio. I love that word! Studio.....studio......it's actually just a room with all my scrapping gear, and few shelves, and not much else. though it does always seem to be very full, messy and not much space to move. Maybe I should spend some time cleaning up in there tomorrow??? Narrrh, I am so playing, it is way more fun!!!! 

Well have a fab Wednesday everyone, hope you have sunshine and warmth in your day!!!!

Mel

xx

Some 3D houses, and week 6 Idol..........

Just a quick post. Just wanted to share some 3D houses I have made over the last couple of weeks! and to post my pic of my LO for Idol round six. If you get a chance pop over to the forum and vote for your fave three LO's again this week.

Mel 

xx

Idol round Five....

Well I have made it to round five of Embellished Idol, and this week we had to do a non-person LO. Now I straight away thought I was going to do another LO of my poor cat, but after having another think, decided to do one of my pics form my trip to New Zealand last year!

I absolutely love how it turned out I have to say......let me know what you think! If you get a chance, pop on over to the Embellished site and cast your vote for your fave week Five LO.

Mel 

xx

 

Check these out.....

I saw these new chipboard shapes, and loved them. I particularly love the Vanilla Ice one!!!

Vanilla Ice, Ice Baby..... aaahhh, child of the late 80's.

Anne Lederhose.

Mel 

xx

Create Paint Blog......

My good friend Nichole invited me to participate in a new painting blog a group of friends have start up. We are given a topic every six weeks and it is then up to us as to how we interpret that topic. I have just finished my first painting, and I am well impressed. Probably not many of you know I studied Fine Arts at University, but I am a Textile Artist mainly, but I could resist the challenge of Painting. It has always been my weakest medium to work with, but I think maybe, it has been because I have always been a little scared of it really. Well I am going to have some fun and not worry to much about things, and paint, paint, paint.

Pop on over to the blog and check it out for yourself, some very cool stuff happening there. Create Paint.

Also, leave me comment and let me know what you think of my Self Portrait???

Have Fun,

Mel

xx

Lots going on.......

Well I have had the most massive surge of creativity and mojo in the last two weeks. Might have to do with my time off, but it is still following through after being back at work now for a couple of days! I practically filled an album while on holidays. Here's a few I can share! Firstly I did an online class with the amazing Maz who is raising money to go to Cambodia I believe, please correct me if I have got it wrong!, hey way as she has an amazing soul she is of to help people less fortunate than ourselves. It was a fabbo class, so much fun, and got me out of my normal cover then entire page  thing I do!! 

And then a selection of other pages I have done from a random smattering of sketches and what not!

Now there is heaps going on over at Scraptivate in the next few months, lots of cool classes to come to, we are all of the Scrap-it next Sunday at the Sheraton Hotel, and we are all eagerly awaiting the new Cuttlebug products that are coming.

Drop by the Scraptivate website and see what's going on in store at the moment. Hope to see some of you in store sometime, maybe at a class, maybe at a crop, or just to come and say hi!

Have a great day.

Have fun,

Mel

xx

Go Vote!!!..........

So don't forget to stop by the Embellished Idol Blog to vote for your fave layouts again this week. Voting has started and finishes 5pm EST Sunday! Now off you go and vote.

Mel

xx

It rocked the house!!!.......

So my casserole was a ripper,

 it would be a winner in any country!!! 

It taste so good!

Mel

xx

Domestic Bliss..........well almost........

So Lawley took this week off work to spend time with me.....OK i can hear the groans from here, but it's really very sweet.........and we have been having a few few really lovely lazy days together. We sleep late, watch a movie or two, have been doing tonnes of cooking...........yes I have been cooking!!!!, any of my friends knows this is almost a dead set miracle.........But I have really been having lots of fun! I have been craving food from my childhood of late, and If i could just find my Grandmothers macaroni and cheese recipe I would be happy to leave this earth right after I'd finished it. None the less, I have been making a few other things, Grandma's spiced apple cake, that I just can't get enough of (this week any way, I should have made two!), and today I have endeavored to make a good old fashioned casserole like my mum would make when I was little! It's in the oven as we speak so I will let you know how it went, but I have got a couple of pics of the cooking process, and a pic of how it is meant to turn out! Good luck to me I say. I also made a few Garlic breads, two for the freezer, and some to go with the casserole. Talk about domestic. I am almost a domestic goddess....nearly.  So what about the 'well almost" part of my title I hear you say......Lawley is such a good cook, he really doesn't need to follow recipes and stuff, but me I am to the letter, I follow every step, and if the recipe asked me to run around the kitchen I would! (definitely if it would make to food turn out exactly how it was meant to be!), so he was trying to help me a little bit, but got all the steps out of order and caused a slight stress attack on my behalf. Nothing to serious, but the recipe was asking for two tablespoons of flour, and he swears we had already done that when we seasoned the meat???? I didn't know where to go from there, how am I meant to just skip a step like that? the cooking police we so come and arrest me for that??? So after much confusion, I decided to just go with it! Fingers crossed it works. No wonder I don't cook, I almost need to have a bit of a nap after that little expedition.

Have fun,

cook to the letter,

Mel

xx

All the lovely vegie's that have gone in!

And this is meant be how it will look, though I did add potatoes.

Idol Week Two.....

So here is my entry for week two of Idol. Voting for week two starts Friday at 5pm EST, so don't forget to pop by and cast your vote for your Fave 5 LO's again.

Have Fun,

Mel

xx

And the winner is.....

With a random number picked by my gorgeous partner of 9............the winner is Maz!!!!!

Congrats Honey, shall get a little bit of art love to you in the post!

Mel

xx

Yay for me.......

I have literally just stuck my last little bit onto my final Masters entry piece and just wanted to tell somebody!!!!

So now I am off to make a roast beef sandwich and watch a movie in the lounge! Wish me luck guys, I have work really hard on my entries and I am so totally proud of the results. I promise as soon as I am able to post pics of my work for Masters I will, but it could be a short wait for that.

Have a happy Sunday,

Mel

xx

Embellished Idol Round One........

So here is some LO love!!! I told you I'd post some soon! 

Voting has started and so follow the link to the embellished Idol Blog and cast your vote for your fave five LO's!

Have fun voting!

Mel

xx

Power Scrap..........

So what did all you guys get up to last night??? Sleep maybe?

Me? well I am glad you asked. I had a bit of a scrap with Audrey Underwood, and Maxine Hazebroek, and did we scrap. Let me see what time was it that I got home?................................ Oh that's right 6:30 am this morning!!!! But we got some serious scrapping done!

I seem to find my scrapping is better when it is done in the wee small hours of the day. Might be something to do with hear the wind and the rain out side, but knowing you are safe and warm inside. Maybe? Or is it that it just takes a good 16 hours for my brain to start working to it's full potential? It could be that to.

I know that pics of my work have been scarce of late, but I promise that it will get back to normal soon! I have a few deadlines for the end of the week, for comps etc, and then I can start posting pics of my new work!

Till then,

have fun,

Mel

xx

Looky what I got............

Can you say serious impulse shopping?

I can and here is the evidence. I had to visit the bank, and in the entire car park there was one empty bay. Out the front of a gift shop mind you, with a lovely sign saying "Casa Nova Parking Only". Silly me in all my wisdom (what wisdom?), thought, I'll park there, do a quick once around the store to make it look like I was shopping there in the first place. So I go in...... and I come out 10mins later with a brand new Spencer and Rutherford Bag. A rather large, gorgeous one at that, so my bank balance is hurting a little bit right now, but with a serious discount (as the shop is closing down) how could one leave this beautiful bag there. Please someone tell me how I could have walked away.

So in short, either I have to embrace serious impulse shopping like this (which I really don't mind at all) or I have to park further away and walk to the bank next time!!!

What a way to start a 2 week break from work!! Pity I can't really afford to go any where much now to show it off. That's ok though, I don't mind staying home and just looking at her!

Have fun,

Mel

xx

A RAK and Hoildays...........

So today is the first day of my two week holiday from work. I am soooo looking forward to lazing about, doing some gardening, and I am planning some serious scrapbooking time for myself also. As I am feeling just so amazing today I would like to give a small piece of art away! Just leave me a message and next Monday I will randomly choose a winner. Anybody can enter, so leave a message and good luck!

So I haven't really been posting much work on here of late, that's because I have feverishly been working away on items for Scrapbooking Masters this year. I decided I would give it another go this year and have been madly working away. I promise everything will get back to normal soon and I will post some work.

 I am also in the Embellished Idol Comp again this year. Our first challenges will be finished by this Friday so pop along to the blog and vote for your fave LO's! Just follow the link at the side. There are also heaps of prizes for the viewing audience to win and one ends to day!, again all you have to do is leave a message on the Idol blog to win.

Take care, will be back soon with an update on my sloth like first day of holidays......

Mel

xx

This made me smile sooo much.......

I found this over at Ngaire Bartlams blog today. I have to say, it made me smile so much, It nearly had me in tears. Just the shear joy and the universalness of dance!!! Have a smile your self!


Mel
xx

Happy Birthday......

So just a couple of Birthday pics of my Mum and my Aunt.

Happy Birthday to you both!!!

And being the gentile ladies we are lets just say, they are a couple of decades old, lets not put the number out there shall we??

It was really lovely on Sunday, got together with my family for a meal, and a chat and a catch up, I really love these times with my family, they are all so beautiful.

Mel

xx

It's a new dawn, It's a new day, It's a new life for me.....and Im feeling good!

Well, I have few works to describe my Wednesday Night....... here is a few that seems to be able to make it out....

Quiver....

Goose Bumpy....

Velvety....

Hmmmm..... nope, still can't quite get there yet. Maybe a few more days and I'll be able to eloquently describe it to you, I think at the moment it would still be a little embarrassing for words. I shall leave you with a few images instead.

Mel

xx