Fa la la la la la la la la

Thanks to Beckie for this award.

Five people to pass this onto-

1.Lisa

2. Lyn J

3. Melissa Phillips (Lilibean Paperie)

4. Michelle Wooderson (Mish Mash)

5. Vicki Parker

Three things about me: 1. Was born in Lower Hutt 2. Love 'October Afternoon' 3. Have just read my first Jodi Picoult novel.

And continuing my 40 days of grateful:

Day 27: A surprise early cake and pressies for my 'big' wee guy (nearly 4!)

Day 28: Plan B Christmas tree - it's up!

Day 29: A morcel of scrapping

Day 30: A sea swim- warm and lovely!

Day 31: Some new clothes and a bushwalk (I can walk!!)

Day 32: Back in our own bed- bliss!

Day 33: Child free lunch- Scallops- mmmmmm

Day 34: Attended a relaxed and gorgeous outdoor wedding- nice!

Day 35: A 'mummy/Ollie' date to include carols by glo-lite

And of course a very Merry Christmas to you all in case I don't make it back. God Bless you and your families. xoxo

Still here!

Hi Peeps, how's it going?

A Chrissie tag, vintage style.... Like?


I used a manilla parcel tag, Fancy pants PP (scallop using spellbinders in cuttlebug), vintage lace, tea dyed a tag, stampin up stamp (merry), angel I think kiwi impressions, kaisercraft pearl, ribbon from Memrie Mare, ink chalk box and ranger distress ink vintage photo, kindy glitz, scallop edge punch (Stampin' Up).

Continuing my 40 days of thankful:

Day 16: Seeing my bro again after 3 1/2 years

Day 17: A big rest child free!

Day 18: Time to smell the roses, or to watch the cicadas as the case may be LOL

Day 19: My neighbour cooked me dinner, how nice is that?

Day 20: Kimi Ora- a swim in the most beautiful pool in the world, a massage, a view, dinner ot, sunshine!

Day 21: To see my wee guys again- hugs, kisses, smiles, dancing

Day 22: Wee morcel of scrapping

Day 23: Coffee with a friend and walking in the rain

Day 24: New Echo Park papers to play with

Day 25: Acts of service

Day 27: Walking round town I CAN WALK AGAIN yeehhhaaaaa

Blessings xo

Clouds, sandpits and things

If you are new to my blog, welcome and to fill you in I am doing a series of '40 days of grateful'? Why? To try and stay positive through this time of shall we say fairly average health. Post viral fatigue.

GRATEFUL FOR:
Day 10: Cloud watching with my (big) wee boy
Day11: Sand Pit date at a friends- got out with kids, just!
Day12: The healing power of prayer
Day13: A marked improvement in health and energy
Day14: One of my older projects made it to the Cosmo Cricket blog...yeehaa
Day15: I can breathe better post physio- who would have thought!

Cosmo Cricket

Do you remember the farm matching game that I posted earlier this year?

Well today this project made it onto the Cosmo Cricket blog. I am excited! You can go to the post here http://cosmocricket.typepad.com/cosmo_cricket/2010/11/eye-spy-cosmo-cricket-eye-candy.html

One Day At a Time

My first layout which reflects what I am going through at the moment. It's for the Kraft-it-up Challenge Blog. The challenge was to use trims this month.

For the trims I have used border punches (MS, SU), tea dyed gauzey material, hand dyed and scrunched seam binding (Memrie Mare), rubons (OA), and die cut trims (CP).

In behind the photo is an envelope, which has also been tea dyed to give it an aged look.

LOVE Crate paper's restoration line!

Have used a few elements symbolically- the birdcage stamp (MME) to reflect how I am very much trapped at home at the moment, the angel wings reflecting my faith in God and that things will get better and finally the clock as no one can tell me how long it will take to function normally again.

Back soon to continue my 40 days of grateful.

Hugs.

Inspiration

Day 8:
Grateful for the internet- it is my lifeline (well one of them) at the moment. As getting out is not much of an option online shopping is an absolute saviour. I sooo enjoy my cuppa first thing and blog hopping. One of my all time fave blogs is http://lilybeanpaperie.typepad.com {love}! This beautiful poem was posted yesterday and spoke to me. I am on the receiving end right now.

Because I Have Been Given Much
Because I have been given much, I too must give.
Because of thy great bounty, Lord each day I live.
I shall divide my gifts from thee with every brother that I see,
who has the need of help from me.
Because I have been sheltered, fed by thy good care…
I cannot see another’s lack and I not share-
my glowing fire, my loaf of bread-my roof’s safe shelter over head,
that he too may be comforted.
Because I have been blessed by thy great love dear Lord,
I’ll share thy love again according to thy word.
I shall give love to those in need. I’ll show that love by word and deed,
thus shall my thanks be thanks indeed.

~ Grace Noll Crowell~

Here's another Tarisota Style studio layout that I did- this is a Gigi Kennedy one. As usual changed slightly (one pic instead of 2 etc) but a cool background technique huh!
Day 9: Grateful for phone conversations with friends, more than ever.

Weekend

Day 6: Grateful for a peaceful and restful afternoon.

Day 7: Got out of the house, was almost too much, but ended up okay. Good to get out.

What are you grateful/ thankful for? Hugs.

Sick of..

sick....Not such a good day today.

Day 5
I am thankful for my boys who I love dearly and who are growing so fast before our very eyes. Often up to antics. Love hearing their laughter from upstairs when I am resting after tea (don't love the cries and tantrums but that's another story).

A layout!

A new layout over at Scrap Box NZ. Product details and some close ups can be seen over there. Did some tea dying of the gauzey fabric to give it an aged look and upcycled some packaging for the journalling card.
Day 4 has to be that I actually managed to complete a layout (even if it did take an extra long time) and upload it. Have a good day friends. :)

Friends...

....where would we be without them?

So day 3 is: So grateful for my friends and their support..... Messages, baking, meals, flowers, help at home...........

Love ya! :)

Robotto

Simple wee robot kiddie cards (made a while back). The front card has already been gifted for a 4th birthday (4 robots and 4 brads- cheesey huh).

Today is day 2 of my -'40 days of thankful'. Today I am thankful for my amazing hubby who is really holding the fort at the moment and doing most of the things that I would normally do- like the groceries last night. Thanks babe xo

40 Days of Thankful

Why? I am still suffering from post viral symptoms after strep throat last month... Well that's what I've been told as the tests thus far haven't found anything else. So most of my time is spent from the bed to the couch, with doing the bare minmum of what needs to be done in between. Fairly housebound. Not a lot of crafting. So I am going to try and keep positive and 40 days of thankful is going to help. Some days I won't be able to blog but we'll see how it goes. One day I will scrapbook it.

Day one: I am thankful for this song that is regularly playing in my head..

"He who waits on the Lord will renew their strength, run and not get weary, walk and not faint".

Karel used to sing this at my old church. It is a great song. The scripture is from Isaiah.

Blessings,
Sally. :)

Stamp Happy

This is my last project as guest designer for Jacque over at Stamp Happy. This month she gave us the Merry Details die to play with...
It has a partridge, trees and snowflake on it. PPs are also Stampin' Up (Love Letter). Delish!

and some wee envelope gift pockets.

Joy

I love the simple joys that my boys bring to not only our lives but the lives of others. 'We' are getting lots of mileage out of the policemen hats- as pictured in the layout below that I made for Scrap Box NZ. The banner I made with a stamp (MME), Baker's twine and some wee alpha beads I found from days gone by.
I am (almost) addicted to making wee gift pockets, this one by simply altering a plain old paper bag. Teresa Collins pps were used, also available over at Scrap Box NZ.

I just love the colour combo of red, black and cream. YUM! So very elegant don't you think?

Lastly I would like to thank you for your comments. They are especially important at present.

Hugs, Sally :)

A couple of cards to share today, that I made a fair few weeks back now.
Firstly a wedding card using some nice vintage elements and my favourite Stampin' Up stamp set (tiny tags).

and for a wee baby using my cuttlebug and some Martha Stewart Stamps.

Tarisota Style Studio

So this winter I treated myself to Tarisota Style Studio http://www.tarisota.com.au where they uploaded detailed project instructions almost every day for the month. LOVED IT! It was a good option for me being at home with small children through a winter of sickness! Didn't have to go anywhere, the workshop came to me.

This is one completed layout, designed by Mel Goodsell. It isn't exactly the same in that I used what I had available....


Because home is so much about the kids, it was good to think about what it means to me.

Full Steam Ahead

This is my latest layout for Scrap Box NZ, where you can purchase most of the products I used.

The Village

So a few weeks back I was booked in to a class run by the wonderful Lyn Jordan http://thescrapbookstorenz.typepad.com

Unfortnately I was unable to attend last minute, but a friend was able to pass on the kit and show me the ropes. So these are the wee vintage Christmas houses I came up with.

How absolutely gorgeous are they! Was so refreshing learning something new. I sense that another new village may spring up soon.

Vintage Style Mini

I made this mini for ScrapBox NZ. Further info and product details can be found over there http://scrapboxnz.com/ Oh and more pics too.

I would not be without my Kaiser Pearls, MS Border punches and tattered leather Glimmer Mist. Just use them again and again and again.

...Which is true isn't it....?? But scrapping products are oh so much FUN. LOL

Altered Canvas

Jacque http://stamphappy.typepad.com/ gave us some gorgeous white crochet flowers and white card embossed with the vintage wallpaper die.

This is what I came up with....

White on white on white..... (well with a bit of cream in there too LOL). Rachel Tucker inspired...

It's hard to tell from the pic, but I tied a strip of gauzy fabric around the canvas and placed a couple of vintage pins (MM) through the knot. Initially I had modpdged some tissue paper around the sides but the effect was a little yellow for what I was after.

Kraft Challenge

My first ever entry for the Kraft challenge blog. A sketch challenge this time. Love this sketch, was so fun to do. PPs are Fancy Pants and Stampin' Up.

Mish Mash

I am loving this blog at the moment http://michellewooderson.blogspot.com 'Mish Mash' which is where the inspiration for these cards came from. It's a neat design that could be used with a variety of papers, for a range of occassions.

Happy Sunday and thanks for looking. :)

He

"He will take great delight in you,
he will quiet you with his love,
he will rejoice over you with singing".
Zep 3:17

Layout made for Scrap Box NZ. More details over there including a link to a tutorial by Gigi Kennedy on how to make these gorgeous wee gauzy rosettes.... How sweet are they.

I have used gauzey fabric layered on bazzill, a bit of stitching and an old fabric pattern.

Ever?

Have you ever had a period in your life where you think "enough is enough?". Well that is a bit how I'm feeling at the moment. We have had 6 dr visits (including 2 'After-Hours' visits) in the last 10 days. All of us sick, all with different ailments. Needless to say I have not been creative :( .

One evening a wee while back I cuttlebugged, misted, scrunched and layered to make a variety of wee 'flower-like' embellies.

They are just waiting to be topped with a large brad or button and put to good use!

Hoping for a better week next week. xo

Strong

Well it's been quite a week. Not one that i would like to repeat any time soon. What's the saying.... 'What doesn't kill you will only make you stronger'. LOL

A couple of things to share today. Firstly a vintage tag that I made for Father's Day this year. I used Ranger distress Ink (vintage photo) for the background. Loving my Baker's Twine. Scrap Box NZ is now stocking this.

I don't think I will ever tire of vintage book paper scallops...

............and a wee sneak preview of an 'off-the-page' project I created for Scrap Box NZ.

Happy weekend everybody. I am hoping to escape for a couple of hours.

Chase

This layout is all about bubba (bless him!) chasing sea gulls crawler style. He just has this thing for them...

The neutral Cosmo pp worked well- reminded me of the beach, with the gauzy fabric for some extra texture. The thick ribbon is an older Stampin' Up one- it is pleated Gigi http://gigikennedy.typepad.com/ style.

Love that gorgeous little 7Gypsies paper clip.... Cute!

Blessed

So a week or two ago I was privy to the most AMAZING package arriving at my door from the wonderful, generous and talented Rachel Tucker http://rtscraps.typepad.com/

So I opened the box to see this most beautiful handmade tag, made by Rachel of course...

Don't you just {heart} the layering and stitching and fabric and those delicious wee flowers...

I could not believe the amount of vintage pretty that just kept on coming...... I must admit I got all choked up......

An amazing RAK (random act of kindness) from a stranger..... Oh how it made my day/ week/ month...........

How gorgeous is the stitched felt heart....... and check out the delightful wee cupcake.....

So as I said SO BLESSED.......Thank you a million times over Rachel!

Check out her blog and be inspired.

xoxoxo

Sweet and Simple

A cute wee altered jar I made for Scrap Box NZ.

Chocolate Giveaway

I {heart} Chocolate Giveaway over at

http://tarisota.typepad.com/my_weblog/2010/09/i-heart-chocolate-a-giveaway-.html

You gotta be in to win!

Happy Sunday people.

My Mum

Mum loves her fabric, sometimes selling her creations at fairs around the Nelson region. She also sells through trade-me under the name of 'Bryce-Bags'.

Some sales (as identified on the site) this week will go to the Christchurch Quake victims.

You can find the gorgeous Owl bib here http://www.trademe.co.nz/Baby-gear/Feeding/Bibs/Single-bibs/auction-316862237.htm