I'm Sad

Please forgive me for not being online for a little while, on my blog or on the Scrapbook City forum. My very, very dear Grandad (for whom I made that 60th anniversary book last year) passed away this morning. He was a grand 89 and died at home with my Nan, in the middle of the night.

xx S.

A Quick Post

I've been so completely flat out lately, that I have barely had time for the computer. I have managed, however, to create a few layouts. They are in my Digi Gallery & My Album Gallery (links in sidebar, if you are interested).

Here are my favourites...

Digi layout using my own designed paper and brushes. Photo taken July 2004, six days before Nick was born.


Digi layout. Credits for the paper and elements are in my digi gallery. (L-R:) Myself, Miranda, Zane, Amanda & Sara N. I have a photo of the bigger group, taken later on that crop night, but I haven't scrapped it yet.


Paper layout inspired by Melissa Nunn. :) My Nan on her 80th birthday with my three children, the fourth generation! My lovely Nan is wonderful with children and my three just adore her. Nan is super funky and in touch with people of all ages. A true gem.

New Fancy Pants papers. LOVE 'em! This is my gorgeous brother- & sister-in-law. They are the most in love of any couple I know.... even with their SIX children!! I don't know how they keep their romance, but they do!!

I weighed in at Weight Watchers this morning and have lost another 1.7kg. That's 4.7kg in three weeks. I honestly thought I'd plateau this week, so am pleased to have lost anything! I'm aiming for an average of 1kg a week, so it is nice to be above that for the moment. ;)

I'd like to add a HUGE congratulations to the Reality Scrap girls at Scrapbook City. They have been submitting their entries to the magazines and the Basic Grey website and SO many of them have been picked up!! I'm so proud of them all!!

Which reminds me.... I haven't submitted anything for a couple of months. I might send something in to Scrapbook Creations this week.

Okay, so here's one last layout, only because I had so much fun playing with this one. The 'paper' didn't reduce very well. It is a more uniform red in the original file. The photo was taken in Dec 2004. Chris was younger here than Nicholas is now. I don't remember him being Nick's age. Funny.

Credits are in the Digi Gallery.
TFL

Have a great weekend!
xx S.

Farewell to My Favourite Editor

I'd like to say a sad farewell and best wishes to my all-time favourite editor. Jannah Kelly has passed her editorial batton at Scrapbook Creations to the lovely Leanne Mezrani. Jannah has really been an inspiration to me as a scrapbooker and has supported me (and my confidence) by including me in Scrapbook Creations so often in the past year.

{myself, Lorraine Bates, Jannah Kelly & Alicia Barry - photo courtesy of Alicia}

So, best wishes and good luck, Jannah, for your future ventures. You have meant the world to me in the past twelve months and I thank you for all you have given me.

Having said that.... Congratulations and good luck to Leanne Mezrani, who will absolutely ROCK as new editor of Scrapbook Creations.
xx S.

Clever Girl

I'm such a typical proud Mum. Amelia had her first ever test yesterday.... a maths test. I'm proud as punch to be able to post that she got 20/20 and finished first! She loves school so much. I love that she is doing well, but really hope she continues to love it also. It is so much easier to do well when you enjoy doing it.

So, for her, this is a picture she made for me on the weekend.

My favourite bits are the Princess on the unicorn and the lady-bug on the HUGE pink umbrella. Very cute drawing.

Thanks for letting me share. :)
xx S.

Galleries Updated

I've finally managed to update my layout galleries!
Links ------------------------------------>

Have a look, if you like. If you are a regular reader of my blog, you have probably seen all the layouts.

I am working on a stack of layouts at the moment, so I might have more to share in the next few days. ;)

Thanks for dropping by!
xx S.

More Paper Crafts Festival

I had fun working at the Paper Crafts Festival for a few hours with Katie H at the Scrapbook City stand. SO busy!! So many wonderful ladies, excitement and chatter. It's all made me really keen to get in and scrap!

I completed three simple layouts last night, but haven't photographed them yet. I do have a digi layout or two to share, though. I'm loving my digi at the moment. It is a luxury to not have to pack up when I am finished. I usually make a HUGE mess with paper scrapbooking.

Sweetheart - Shabby Princess Wild Love kit (again); Michelle Coleman brushes; Scrap Girls paper clips; font - Ziggy Zoe.


Dear Friend - page design inspired by a layout on 2peas last year (sorry, I don't have the person's name); Michelle Coleman's Simply Spring papers; Sassi Designs brushes (yep, that's me!!); font - Scriptina & Harrison.

I have to say that my favourite thing about digital scrapping at the moment is that I can buy (or find the occassional freebee) paper set or embellishment designed by Michelle Coleman & Nancie Rowe Janitz - the enormously talented girls who designed the latest gorgeous Fancy Pants papers (which I went crazy buying up at the PCF)!!

Anyhoo.... I'm overdue for bed. Gotta get up early to go to the gym, or at least a run/fast walk, in the morning! Thanks for dropping by!

xx S.

Paper Crafts Festival & My Digi Blog

I've just had a quick visit to Brisbane's Paper Crafts Festival and it was fun! Scrapbook City have a fantastic double stall there and were so busy all morning! Completely run off their feet!

They have lots of new CHA products, including the gorgeous Fancy Pants papers, clear stamps (OMGosh - beautiful!!), rubons, ribbons/lace, etc. They also have stacks of new products from Basic Grey, Li'l Davis, Making Memories, Scrapworks, Sassafras Lass, Scenic Route and much more! Definately worth a visit!!

Hello again to the lovely friends I caught up with, too! So great to see Jenny U, who always makes me smile, Chelle who was working hard, and the lovely Jill!!

I've also started up a Digital Scrapping blog to keep all my digi layouts together (the link is now also in my sidebar). All my messy blogs are works in progress, so please enjoy, comment if you like and don't mind the mess!!

How's this for a bit of fun??

The Spin - Shabby Princess Festival kit.

I'm off to work, so I'll catch up here later!

xx S.

Back on Track

Well, I am finally back on track with my health kick! Last year I lost 14kg, then, when my computer crashed in the middle of the year, got lazy (as I had to sit down for a few months rebuilding files) and got VERY slack with everything.

I have now put that 14 kg back on!! Grrr.

So I've joined the gym for a little while and am eating so much more healthily again. I started last Thursday and have since lost just over 2kg. Nice start. I have another 25kg - 30kg to go!! I can do it, though, if I keep my mind set on it. Hopefully I'll have it off by Christmas.

I have a great incentive to then keep it off. My beautiful cousin Allyson has asked me to be her Matron of Honour for her wedding in September 2008. The venue is gorgeous and I'm really looking forward to it. Allyson was a bridesmaid at my wedding seven years ago.

In other wedding news, Amelia has been asked to be Flower Girl for John's cousin's wedding in May 2007. Laura is marrying Jimmy, then moving to LA with him. Then I'll have a place to stay in NY & LA when I go to America!! (rofl - as if I'll get back to the US in the next few years, anyway!! It'd be nice, though.) Amelia is so super excited about being Flower Girl and can't wait to see her dress.

I'll leave you with a photo of my three in the bath. They went a bit overboard with the bubble bath THEN turned the spa jets on!! BIG froth!! This pic was taken after it went down a bit. They had a ball and I let John sort it out, so I was happy too!!

Oh, yeah, I Photoshopped the bejeebies out of it!! I was just playing with some new brushes I had. ;)
xx S.

Digi Layouts

I have been playing with digital scrapbooking again and loving it! For some reason, my mojo is back with the digi stuff and I am finding the paper scrapbooking much harder.

Here are the four layouts I've created today:

So Sweet - Michelle Coleman & Scrap Artist paper & embellies; Shabby Princess Wild Love.


That Look - Tracy Ann & Trish Jones (Scrapbook Bytes); Michelle Coleman brushes; font Hanibal Lecter & my handwriting.


Blessings of a Family - Michelle Coleman 'Feeling Groovy'; Rhonna Farrer brushes.


Puppy Stages (my fav so far) - Tracy Ann's Grunge & Take Two (Scrapbook Bytes); font Scriptina & James Fajardo.

They are quick, simple and use some fun products all available online! Thanks for looking.
xx S.

Some Layouts

Reality Scrap @ Scrapbook City is cruising along nicely. We have moved to the blog (www.realityscrap.blogspot.com) temporarily, while the forum is being fixed. The support we've had with our few difficulties has been fantastic. I am looking forward to chatting on the boards again soon, of course!

I have finally found some time to scrap a little! I even found a bit of mojo again. I've been playing a lot with digital scrapbooking again and hope to have a few digi layouts to share with you soon.

Real Faeries - aragwen.com wings and faery dust; Heidi Swapp chipboard alpha sheets.

Swinging Yourself - (Scrapbook City DT layout) lots of new Basic Grey; cherryArte chipboard alpha.


Chris - (Scrapbook City DT layout) Cosmo Cricket Dutch Girl & rubons; Scenic Route chipboard alpha


Waiting for Daddy - Basic Grey papers & rubons; Cosmo Cricket rubons; Li'l Davis chipboard; Fancy Pants chipboard alpha; cherryArte chipboard alpha.


Dance Baby - (Sketch by the fabulous Alicia Barry) more Basic Grey; Scenic Route chipboard alpha. {What a crack up is this kid?? He dances like his father!!}


Being Girlie - (another sketch by the fabulous Alicia Barry) more new Basic Grey; Bazzill flowers; Prima flowers; cherryArte chipboard; Heidi Swapp plastic and chipboard alphas; Making Memories crystal brads.

Crowning a Fairy Princess - Michelle Coleman's Boho Chic kit.


Free Spirit - Michelle Coleman's FP drop-in layout, stamped alpha, brushes; stitches unknown.

....and there you have it. A few things I've done lately. Other than that, I haven't been well, so have just been pottering about. Nothing much to tell.

Thanks for dropping by my blog. I have SO many hits a day and am not sure who is dropping by. Please feel free to leave a comment or just say, "Hi!"
xx S.

Scrapbook City Reality Scrap

Just a quick post to let you know that we are currently running Reality Scrap from www.realityscrap.blogspot.com

Don't forget to vote! See you all there!!