whoo hoo

 
OK I have finally finished my Kaiser Christmas countdown tree (btp/otp) are not my most favoured as most of you know, the girls love it and that is all that matters!

another one so you are feeling loved shell

mmmmwwwhaaaa

this one is for you shelleygxxx

OK Shelley this is for you mmmmmmwwwwhaaaaaaaa

Going to have a cup of tea and come back to this - I think I am tired

still having trouble with linking

I will try again dear patient readers of mine!

Jane

having trouble with links

Please bear with me lovely readers

charm

Jane Jones

Sharon Tomlinson (USA)

Jessica Tremp

Emily Falconbridge

Fingers crossed that these links work lol

oops forgot the award lol

Can someone out there in blogland help me to change the auto date thingy on my blog please?????

thank you lovely skye mmmwhaaaa

The lovely and ever talented Skyehas nominated my blog for a Kreativ Blog Award !
Now I have to pay it forward to 5 other lovelies!

OK here goes

Jane Jonesthe gorgeous talented Jess who I have recently met the fab Em Falconbridgethe talented and gorgeous friend Charmand Sharon Tomlinson who inspires me with her art

I have been tagged!!!

By the very talented ShelleyG

The Rules are:
1. Add a link to the person who tagged you
2. Post the rules on your blog
3. List 6 random things about yourself
4. Tag 6 people at the end of your post
5. Let each person know they have been tagged and leave a comment on their blog
My 6 random things about myself.....

+ I write letters to my daughters in journals and include fave recipes, funny things they say etc.. (for them to (hopefully) treasure later in life
+ I lerve shoes (esp on sale at a special outlet near the beach in Melb)
+ I can raise an eyebrow one at a time (Mia is itching to be able to "do the eyebrow thing that only Mummy can do" ) LOL
+ I have lived overseas (over 20 years ago ugh)
+ My second toe is longer than my first lol (you did say 6 "random" things Shell)
+ I have met the Queen Mother

Okie dokie here we go I tag Sandie, Christie (USA), Amy (USA), Ally Angel, Jane,Jan(USA)
Hope my 6 random things about myself amused you lol!!!!

friday already

The weeks are slipping past - we are going to get our Christmas tree from the Christmas tree farm this weekend and the girls are soo excited!
Yesterday at our scrapping THursday I finished the Christmas cube for the prep teacher from all the children - alas I cannot post the pic as it has all the children's pics on it - I used the Kaiser Christmas papers and quotes and rub ons and it looks very sweet indeedy !!
Been to the gym this morn need to shower clean up and head to the LSS for work today
I am excited I am getting to meet Malinda (from Bon's) irl today she is coming down for a wedding and will call into the shop to meet me! yeah!!

now this reminds me Christmas is near

 
Tonight, Mia found a Christmas beetle on the front path paying us a visit - it took me back to my childhood whenever we saw the first Christmas beetle in the garden we knew that Christmas was fast approaching.
I told this story to Ella and Mia tonight and they could not believe they had "Christmas beetles in the olden days"
lol Ah the innocence of children - I love it!

wed 26 nov

Well Ella has been into hospital for her second lot of grommets
here are a few pics lol

friday 21st nov

Hi everyone
Just a quick blog update!
Miss Mia has her first piano recital today at lunchtime (called a blackboard concert in the chapel) it gives the children a small taste of performing in front of a small audience!
She has wanted to be invited all year and now her turn has come!
This morning she was nervous about it so I will be there with my sis Dee and the camera (of course)
She has one song to play (a very simple song) called Dance Band
Please send good thoughts to Mia at 1.10am AEST Friday....thanks
Mia your first few years on life's journey were not the most positive but baby look at you now!! I am so proud of you beautiful girlxxxxx
(for new readers Mia was born weighing only 740gms and she and I are blessed to be alive)

Give a special person (whether it be Teachers, Bus Drivers, Retailers, Mums struggling with shopping and little children ) a big smile today - everyone responds well to a warm smile!
xxxhugs xxx

Tuesday

I am quickly adding to my blog as Mia and Ella are playing outside - they are "BFF" today which is cute! It is getting a little chilly outside now, so best get them in and shower them as I am working at the LSS tomorrow!

It is nearing the end of Ella's first year at school and Mia's 2nd, they finish on Dec 12! I cannot believe my beautiful girls are growing up!
I have to concentrate on finishing the teacher gifts off this week
then the Christmas cooking, decorating (ooh I love this time of year - especially now I have Children of my own)..

I am thankful today for:
1. My beautiful girls playing so nicely with each other
2. My dear friend Sam who continues to be a total inspiration to me - hugs Sam, you are my fave 18 year old!
3. My beautiful artistic friends who support all my fund raising efforts
4. The wonderful teaching staff at CC

Hug your loved ones tight tonight
xxxxxx

4.

help abused and disadvantaged children

Hi my lovely friends, After a call for help from Melissa Kennedy who is always there to help, I decided to ask all my scrapbooking friends around Australia with these very simple 6x6 pages for this very worthwhile cause.


If you have a moment, please read the information below, and even if you could make 6 - 10 pages, that would help enormously.
I have finished 24 pages, and hope to get more done this evening!
Thanks once again you amazing ladiesxxxxx

CHALLENGE - Lets help the SCKC kids

Ok you all love a competition so here goes. I need your help on this one as definately can't attempt this by myself. There are a number of people around Australia helping out on this and so I figured all of you who read this can help out too..
When I first read about this cause - it brought a tear to my eye, maybe due to my past involvement with street kids so something but I knew that together we could help out too.

I have recently received an email from Julie who puts together photo albums for kids who attend the Southern Cross Kids Camps - these are abused and at risk kids from Australia and New Zealand. The Layout drive is on again and she is after page 6 x 6"layouts (SIMPLE ones ladies..... so don't think you can't help out here.... plus I have just seen what you are all capable of doing in a half an hour at the 100 to 1)

I know many of you will help out without an incentive but I would like to offer one anyway and set a target that I hope we can all read together. The challenge I would like to set is that we get more than 200 layouts done asap. So what I am offering to do is give the person who sends me in the most 6 x 6" layouts - their choice of 10 (yes you heard right) 10 Kaisercraft Clear Acrylic Stamps sets (your own choice) - check our the website http://www.kaisercraft.net/ and start choosing which ones you would like.

There is a second chance offer of two sets. It will be a random draw for anyone who has sent in page and also left a comment for this post on my blog. (again your choice of 2 sets of acrylic stamps). This will be drawn after the 20th December so I can see who has sent in what.

How easy is that. So the set deadline is 20th December (this is because they need layouts urgently for the 3 January camps)

Read below and get the full idea of what they need or go to Julie's blog for more information
Southern Cross Kids Camp Page Drive 2008-2009

Hello fellow scrappers!

Unbelievably it's that time of year again! Southern Cross Kids Camp will soon start their 2009 camps for abused and at risk kids across Australia & NZ. Last year you were incredibly generous and kindly donated gorgeous pages and product for the buddies to create and present the precious camp memory books to the children.

It's with great excitement and pride, I can tell you that this year we have been asked to supply books with pages for ALL the camps in 2009! Last week I attended the annual SCKC Directors summit and told them of the enthusiasm, willingness to assist and compassion in the scrapbooking community. They were thrilled that so many of you cared enough to help. They were all so grateful that the time saved creating the pages meant the buddies could journal more meaningful words of encouragement and love and hand the children an incredible keepsake of their week.

This year, once again, we need your generous support for the children of SCKC.Our aim this year is to produce 6300 for all the camps, many pages are needed for the first camp

Photos of the piles of pages Julie received last year. Come on girls - can we help her out????
YES WE CAN!!!!

If you can help out by producing co-ordinated pages for an album, here's what we need. 20 pages per album, the albums are 6"x6, with one photo per page and it will be approx 5" x 3.5". The pages need not be intricate, in fact simple is best, with a photo mat, and a journal spot.
If you are unable to contribute pages but would love to help, we would welcome any left over alphabets, ribbons, buttons, stickers and stamps, embellishments that could be used to decorate the front covers of the children's albums. We would be extremely grateful for whatever assistance you can give.

Your pages/books are used to create an incredible legacy for these neglected and ever so deserving children, who continue to keep a flame of hope alive in their little hearts. Your help is invaluable and as I said during last year's drive for pages, you really are making a difference in the life of one young child.

Please send all layouts to me.
Melissa Kennedy
7 Araluen Parade
Belmont VIC 3216 before 20th December

Sunday with news to share!!

Hi everyone
Wow I have some news - the first piece of news is that I picked up my new SLICE machine on Friday (after waiting patiently since we ordered it in May) well I have had a little play and I love it!
Then as I was running children to activities parties etc yesterday, my sister rang and said she had 4 free tickets to see Andre Rieu ! So, I quickly rang my gorgeous friend Jenny (mmwhaa) and dropped the girls off at 5pm and then went up to Melb with Dee (sis) and Geoff (BIL) and my husband (we never get to go out as he is nearly always working on Sat nights)
Well let me tell you - it was briliant (the gils would have loved it) what a fantastic evening!!
Arrived home around 1.30am so a little tired today so an at home day is planned!
xxxthanks for reading my blog and I always love when you leave a commentxxxx

11/11/2008 lest we forget

I wore my red poppy on Saturday at the scrapoff and again today (Ella thought it looked cool mum)Please spare a minute today to remember our war heroesxxxxx

more photos from sat

I had the pleasure of meeting the lovely Lorraine Bate (Scrapbook Creations)on Saturday here is Shelley me and Lorraine!

Monday 10th nov

Hello everyone
the gorgeous Shelley G was so successful (see girlfriend I told ya so) on Saturday her OTP project was not only stunning Shelley's layout was also stunning - Shelley was picked out of 56 people for her otp project only 10 were chosen from the otp project and her layout was chosen so she made it into the top 24 immediately!
WELL DONE chicky
Now we want to see some practice for the masters next year! (you are with me in this Jooles we will push Shelley G to try out for the masters)
xxxxoff to cook dinner
Today I am thankful for:
1. Ellas nose was not broken in the accident this morning at school
2. My beautiful scrapping friends irl and cyberspace
3. To have made it into the top 24 at the Kaiser Comp (I am still pinching myself)
4. My lovely husband agreeing that a new Canon 450d will make a great Christmas gift
5. For the support of my sister and brotherinlaw with my girls on the day I work at Create on Garden
xxxxxhug someone who needs it today!

sunday 9th nov

Good morning everyone
Congrats to Shelley who made it into the top 10 with her beyond the page project (which was stunning) and then into the top 24 with her layout after round one
you rock girly next step published then masters me thinks!

I was really happy to know that my scrapping has come a long way - I received an honourable mention for my beyond the page project (which I was thrilled about)
and I made it into round two (top 24) then went into round 2 (i was a little nervous
as beyond the page projects are normally not my scene and I have only ever done about 4 beyond the page projects which include 2 for this comp)

The Kaiser team did an amazing job for the comp and I hope they will repeat this comp again! It was so much fun - the adrenalin was certainly pumping!

Thanks for your support Shelley, Justine, Julie, Julie, and Leeanne
xxx

another pic to share

This time my lovely friends (new friend met today) Leeanne, Julie S (such a hoot) Shelley, Moi and Justine

today was fabulous sat kaisercraft scrap 100-1

Wow what a fab day - after the nerves subsided we had so much fun!
This pic is of Shelley, moi, and Justine
we are the Thursday scrappers!!

i got this from my lovely American friend Christie's blog!!

1. Follow your dreams no matter how tiny.

2. My camera is is going to be a Canon 450D!!

3. To achieve your goals, be kind, positive and never give up


4. I love to be involved in theatre in one capacity or another is something I'd like you to know about me.

5. I have a gap in my front teeth.

6. Hope to visit Sophia the new goat soon!

. And as for the weekend, I am participating in the Kaiser 100-1 competition and I am excited!

life lesson 101 - Friday

Well Ella was very bright in the car this morning!
This morning's question was 'Mum if the calfs and the cows don't like eating hay" can they have something else? (coming from a VERY fussy eater I had to stop myself from laughing) I said they had nothing else so they have to eat it!
Then the next question was Mum, the africans only have "porridge" and muddy water
to eat... we should bring them all over to Australia to live and then they could have something different to eat like Nutella..
She said Mum before you say there are too many to live here, can't we just bring them one or five at a time??
Bless you Ella (this time I had tears in my eyes )
xxxxhave a great day

"The impulse to play is an instinct - no play, no creative life"
author unknown
How very true is this quote

water

This morning in the car driving the girls to school, Ella was asking about the hay bales in the paddocks. I proceeded to explain that these bales were for the animals on the farms for feed during the long Winter - then the question about how do the animals drink - does the farmer put out buckets of water? I explained about the dams - then Ella asked what happens when the dams are dry and there is no water for the animals - I said the farmers buy their water and big tankers bring the water - I asked the question, where do you think the water comes from
"from the IGA supermarket - it comes in bottles Mum - you know that !!
xxx

 

 

 

 

more recent layouts

 

self portrait by ella jackman aged 6`1/2

 
Ella had this self portrait in the Christian College Art Extravaganza on the weekend !
Canot wait to scrap this one