Top 10 of 2010

Inspired by some of my favourite bloggy scrappers out there I've been looking through my albums and thought I might share what my pics of 2010 for my work are...

It's a really tough job to whittle your work down like this though - especially if you're like me and put your heart and soul into every LO.. I can still look at a LO and remember waht was either playing on TV, on itunes, cooking etc etc whilst I was creating it - but then I am rather odd like that at times ROFL

Not all these LO's are my faves as they're brilliant pieces of art - some of them simply because of the emotion behind the photo or some little memento etc on the LO.... I hope you like :)

in no particular order....

Aaliyah

Single Blue Flower

My Big Boy

Happy Buzzy Bee

The Lake

Bullfrog

He's a Bowler

Not Longer a Boy

The Christmas Kiss

Waiting

And because I think Sue would threaten to disown me as a friend if I didn't include mention of this one.... LOL

Cake Smash

to PAD or not to PAD?

that is the question.....

The previous 2 years I've set myself challenges to take a photo a day. the first one lasted until March when I lost a good friend unexpectedly - and last year's kinda fizzled out when we moved into our new home and I was trying to organise my day to day life and - well, I know that's no excuse but it fizzled LOL

I have my camera out most times, but find the challenge of taking a GOOD photo a day really rewarding as I can look back and it's like a pictoral image of our life and how our children have grown....

I really want to do it again, but instead of challenging myself to a photo a day for the whole year I might take it as a month by month thing... It's not as scary that way LOL. With bubba due in the middle of the year I know I'll have a whole new realm of photographic inspiration from then - but can I make it to August??? Well let's work it out - 2009, made it to March... 2010 made it to May/June so August going on previous years experiences could just be feasible....

And if I have people here kicking my butt it's even more so :P

So whatcha think - can i do it... who's laying bets for me and who's laying bets against me??? And of course it means more piccies to scrap mwahhahaha!!!!

Okies... off to see what I can snap for todays picie ;) I'm kinda excited about this...

Oh next thing, separate blog or will a page tab above do hmmmmm.....

Happy Holidays!!!

I trust everyone had a spectacular Christmas Season - whether you celebrate Christmas or not it truly is a magical time of year :) We had a different one this year being that it is our first year away from family back in Tasmania. We didn't have any traveling or commitments other than a chat on skype so we had a rather relaxing day - even all my stress about getting the Christmas lunch feast together and edible at the same time was for nothing as it all simply worked :)

It looks like we've started a new family tradition for Christmas Eve... We drove the full 5 minutes from our house to a local cherry farm and picked our own cherries to top our pavlova with. It was a great afternoon - all be it hot (the in town weather thermometer said it was 34*C!!!)

and before we knew it it was time to swap our family presents on Christmas Eve - we do this so the children aren't too overwhelmed by the big day when Santa comes and spoils them (if they've been good enough) Everyone went to bed happy and excited for our big Christmas day...

And Christmas morning arrives, children all up and out of bed oohhing and ahhing all before 5am **yawn** I remember the excitement of Christmas morning as a child myself and I love that they are sharing that little bit of magical anticipation themselves :)

and as I mentioned earlier, after a chat on skype to family it was time to eat!!! And well, I kinda prepared too much LOL But then isn't that the Christmas way?? Chicken, ham and turkey with veggies, finished off with pavlova chocolate log cake and icecream - where's the pudding?? Well even now it's still in the fridge LOL We forgot about it!!! ROFL

So I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas and are looking forward to 2011 as much as I am. It's going to be a great year - I just know it!!! 2010 was our year for change and 2011 is the year for us to start afresh and make a new beginning and start moving forward :)

Merry Christmas and a Happy 2011!!!!

Merry Christmas!!

From our house to yours :) I probably wont get a chance to be online much in the next 48 hours so I'll say it now :) I really do wish you all the very best of this joyous season - many laughs, hugs and in some cases happy tears :) It's a time to be making happy memories and remembering those that have came into (and in some sad cases left) our lives. Make the most of them, be merry, be happy and above all be safe!!!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

From my happy (and growing family)

xxx Treens, Nathan, Aleksandir, Kahli, William, Domenik and *splodge* xxx

Preparation.....

Well I decided that if the mojo isn't flowing as freely as I like then there could be a blockage - at the moment my biggest suspect is my bomb-site of a scrap room. Seriously there are bits and pieces everywhere, it's a dreadful mess so I've been cleaning and sorting and procrastination on cleaning and sorting.... Shocking aren't I LOL

So in trying to beat the procrastination ghosts away I am writing here in my blog furthering the procrastination (oh yes shameful!!!)

Seriously - this is a job that must be done, with all things worth doing preparation is something that needs to be done properly and with care, in my case this 'preparation' is for crafting in general.. and is sorting and cleaning and putting back into order my craft/scrap room

Wish me luck - hopefully I'll be back up for air in a few hours with something that looks semi-organised and workable!!!!

A Work in Progress....

I am in the progress on working on a book that will document the personal journey that I have been on this year. This year, as a lot of people know, has been a long one and one full of change for me. We've moved interstate, away from our family and friends and have begun a new life in a state I had never visited before. I have beat my demons of depression, we created a new life and then lost him/her before they were born... I re-kindled my passion for paper and hand crafts and most important of all I believe I found "me" again... This is something I feel needs to be celebrated and documented - so i can look back in years to come and see exactly where I turned the corner in my life, where things started to gel for me and how far we have come as a family as well as individuals...

So I conceived my journey journal...

It will have at least a double page for each month, I will add photo's, mementos and journalling to it... It is definitely a work in progress - but the front cover is completed... and ready to share :)

2010 - The Journey

I love this chippie frame. It's from Words or Whatever. It's such a great size for framing little details! And their chippies are so great to work with!!! this one has been painted and crackled ;)

The chippie butterfly signifies new life for me. It has gone through huge changes in it's life to reach this stage of ultimate freedom and beauty!

My little bee pin - I really love this!! Did you know a bumblebee isn't aerodynamically meant to be able to fly - yet it does!! It reminds me that all things are possible - even if others say it isn't possible

OTP's - a Virgin No More!!!

I did it - I did my first OTP (off the page)!!! And it was meant to be a gift, but I liked it so much i decided to keep it and whipped up a 'matching' frame that was used for the gift instead LOL - Hmm I hope the person receiving it doesn't mind if she reads my blog LOL

Anyhoo's, here it is.. it's a miniature canvas using paint, stamp, Tim Holtz Distress ink (walnut stain) Words or Whatever (check out their facebook page!!!) chippie birdcage and birdie, stickles, ribbon and flowers from My2Angels (which reminds me I have half an order I was working on there - I NEEEEED more star flowers!!!!!)

Stamped with Tim Holtz distress ink into wet paint to soften the efect

the Flower stems have been woven in and around the birdcage

I love using charms and ribbon!!!

the coils are made from offcuts from the flower stems - wound around my tailors awl that I use for poking holes in stuff - voila - perfect coil which matches the flower stems perfectly!!!

And here is the 'matching' frame I made... pretty much using the same materials and techniques...

yes, even a glittery parrot to match the glittery frame!!