Lollipop Ladies, Bad Blogger

Hello friends, well it has been a terrible time with Blogger this whole week for me, thankfully, it is all back to okay again, only makes me think I did the best thing by printing my whole blog out a few weeks ago, should come today so I will show you the book soon.


Well Lollipop ladies has their new challenge up, this time it is custard (see the gorgeous inspiration Picture here ) it wouldn't let me copy it over today....Bad blogger, the added criteria is to make it a bit shabby so that is what I tried to achieve here, by inking, and layering. I hope you like my design. Please pop over it is such an awesome challenge site.

 Here is my toothless terror, on the trampoline with a sheet over the clothesline so he and Charlie can make a tent over them.

Here is little miss Charlie, she loves to do whatever Nate does, so thankfully this mum has more than 1 Spiderman suit.


I will pop to your blogs this weekend, sorry about the problems but like I said Blogger has been playing silly buggers.


Love to you all. Melxx

Playing Typrewriter....

Hi everyone, raining cats and dogs here today, which has worked out super good for us, the above layout was made documenting the "typewriter" on the chest game that I have played with Nate since he was  little, hearing his laugh, and him saying "more, more, more mummy"  Ijust had to get this memory onto paper.....This particular shot is where I asked Col to hold his arms, (for maximum impact of course), I got Aunty Jan to take the photo for me. I love the mix and mend papers from SassLass and those MM corregated letters are my faves.

 Today Karen Brierley came for a play, Amber came over and of course we had gorgeous coffee for the day as Karen takes her Bodum with her everywhere, caramel coffee from Gloria Jean's was the flavour, and it was so beautiful.

I did some scrapping, Karen made several layouts (or finished some she had already started) and we talked scrap, kids, childbirth.....well everything, I think we solved heaps of the world's problems. lol

Karen took this photo of me trying to feel the twin girls that Amber has coming in approx 3 weeks, this lady is so positive and fun loving, and if you didn't already know, she lost everything in the January Floods, her kids have so much stress now when it rains, but the good news is that she may qualify for the round 2 money from the Premier's Flood relief programme. (gosh so she should) the family was lucky enough to be able to find a nice home to rent, and although she doesn't want to go back to the old dwelling. Things are looking positive at last for her and her family.

Amber's neglected blog is HERE, I had to have a laugh as when she sits behind her steering wheel she says she will soon need platform shoes to reach the pedals, I can remember this time when I was due also with Nate.

Life is good, there is always so many families in stress, I feel fortunate to have you all as like an extended family to share my trials and tribulations with.

Love to all of you, hope you and your families are well fed, have a warm roof over your heads and there is laughter coming from within the walls. LOVE MEL xxxxxx

My layout "It's a Faux Pas"

Good morning everyone, a little nippier in the top end of Australia today, harder to get out of bed. Hope you and yours are well.

I created this layout just for me using last month's Nook Kit papers, I love Emma's shopp, they are so beautiful. Nate loves blowing out candles, and their is often no special occassion just like this photo. I put down some random hambly doily white rub ons and then used my finger to add some pink ink over the top. Tanya sent me some SRM stickers, they are awesome and allowed me to add some words above the photo. As you can see, banners are still something I love to make, whether still in fashion or not....

The journalling reads, "There was candles but no birthday, it's a faux pas" I hope you like it.

Nate is fine, still waiting to hear re: the operation dates, I start a 15hr/wk job in less than a month as a Pre-Prep tutor for Adults to help them prepare their kids for the transition into school, and Nate is starting Kindy, so things are happenning this end.....

Off to Tracy's at My2angels this weekend with Cathy Cafun, so so looking forward to seeing all the gorgeous things in her shop.

Have a great weekend. Melxx

What I see for you, gappy shots

Hello everyone, just started raining here and I wish the areas over in WA were getting it, I heard today they are in desperate need for it.

I went into my October Afternoon papers again and started with them on my "What I see for you" layout above. A friend bought me some wands, I cut the wand bottom off and backed the bling stars with a Kaiser red paper and I really like the effect.

I am enjoying scrapping again, I think for me, the less pressure I put on myself with DT's etc, releases a passion in me to just scrap for me.....This is us looking out to sea whilst on a day trip to the coast...seemed like a great opportunity to scrap my feelings for how I feel about this little gappy man of mine.

NOW YOU SEE 2 GORGEOUS FRONT TEETH

NOW THERE IS ONLY 1.........

Off to check out your gorgeousness for more inspiration. Love to you and your families. Melx

Lollipop Ladies 2nd monthly challenge, Challenge Masters Corregated layout

Morning everyone, super cold here is Ipswich today, but the sun is shining and it is expected to be a perfect 24 degrees....The above layout is for our 2nd challenge at lollipop Ladies, how gorgeous is the inspiration photo below. Adding circles or squares is the added criteria, I squared a few papers on here and also added the great clock embellishment from My2angels for one of my circular pieces. Please go here and check out the other awesome designs from the DT here.

I created this layout for the awesome Corregated Challenge at Challenge Masters HERE, I love these photos of Tracy and Ann, when I visited the My2Angels shop recently.

Master Nate had a little accident on his bike this last week, he fell off and severed his front tooth just under the gum, we have seen to the hanging bit but now he has to go into hospital to get the roots removed, thankfully they are just baby teeth, I will take a photo for next post but am still in a little shock with it all at this stage, he was so super brave at the Dentist and Hospital.....

Love to you all, now blogger is up and running I will be visiting you all real soon. Love Melxx

Just for me, pics at the coast

Morning dear friends....oh no blogger has changed the way you upload in the post, is there anyone else having problems? I had to change back to the old editor... so please bear with me...

The above layout is a "just for me" layout on my way quest to document all the important memories we have had. This was New Years Eve, Uncle Col had so much fun using Nate's play doh hairdresser....I just love how he had the bright shirt on, I am just really enjoying using bright coloured paper at the moment. Nate's speech is getting so much better and at the moment the funny things are just pouring from his little mouth....the latest being "Oh gross mum"
he is a huge vege eater so when I put Lasagne and veges on his plate last night he separated them and said I like this (pointing to the veges) and said "gross mum" to the lasagne.....it is so cute though, I don't even know where he would get these words from, I don't say them.....but I just have to make a layout to document this...

Whilst on holidays, Tim Patch who is a renowned cartoonist was at the markets we went to so I got him to draw Nate and I....

Off to check out what you have all been up to, I would be interested to know if blogger has changed for anyone else.

Love to you all. Melxx

Get Picky, Just for me, sketches

Hello everyone, what a glorious day here, sun is shining, 25 degrees, just perfect. I took Nate to the new park here in Ipswich and we ended up staying for almost 4 hours. Had a picnic lunch with a friend and her 2 kids and then the kids played and we ended up meeting others to chat with....so relaxing and the kids played so beautifully.

Above is my Get Picky layout for this month, I had previously did a layout on my finished little face painted spiderman but I also wanted to document his face whilst he was getting it painted. Look how he screws his little face up.

This is a just for me layout, I recently asked Nate. "Why do you always eat the bottom of the cone first"? His reply to me was "Had to mum". So I just had to tell this story also. I am just love love loving the For the record papers from Echo Park, love my Nook kits, this next one is Basic Grey Hello Luscious.....cannot wait.

Look what I got in the mail today.....these are just gorgeous and if you would like some yourself just go HERE.















Hope you are all well and your families are well, I will be visiting you all in the next day or so. Love to you all. Mel and Natexx

arTastic challenge for May, lollipop ladies

Good morning my dear friends, hope if you are in Queensland you are enjoying your Labor Day holiday, we woke up late and are just plodding around, it is so nice, nothing is open here today so I am going to do some scrapping......cannot wait.

The above layout is for ArTastic Challenge this month, what a stunning inspiration photo (below) the criteria is a photo of mum/grandma holding a baby, include some lace (mine is a lace doily just next to the first fob watch) and something orange. (well I added lots of little orange bits and pieces here). What a great challenge I hope you can join us because this month is ArTastic's 2nd birthday and there is going to be lots of wonderful prizes and challenges.

The stunning inspiration painting this month by Mary Cassatt. How perfect for mother's Day.

A reminder that you still have time to do the latest LOLLIPOP LADIES challenge for this month.

How gorgeous is this inspiration pic below:

Trish from the wonderfully talented Lollipop ladies DT did this card, how gorgeous are those ribbons with the stitching and the little hippo......so cute. Pop over HERE to see what the other DT were inspired to create.

Lollipop Ladies Challenge, Get Picky entry

Hello dear friends, can you believe it is the end of the month already, if you are finished all your challenges Lollipop ladies has just brought out their inspiration challenge (below), with such beautiful reds and yellows and greens, I just had to use the gorgeous Echo Park papers I got in the gorgeous Nook Kit.  This is Nate using the clippers on poor old Maxi, and before too long he will be quite good at it too. In the background are Nate and my handprints using paint.  If you would like to join in on the Lollipop Ladies challenge you can view the beautiful cards and other layouts the DT did for this challenge HERE......

This is my Get Picky entry this month, I just loved the gorgeous sketch and I had to use these photos of my milk moustache boy with what looks like the only way he can focus long enough to look at me.....I just love these pics.  Okay I have just gone over to get the link and I have missed the boat, that'll teach me to look more closely at dates. lol. I had heaps of fun anyway.

Hope everyone is well and happy and I look forward to catching up with you all to check out your works of art. Melxxx

Scrap the Boys, Rak from Stacy

Hello dear friends, hope you have enjoyed your Easter and if you are in Australia enjoying this special Anzac Day. We are having a day at home today, and Nate and I are doing various activities together. Painting, a bit of cleaning, setting up the train tracks, grooming dogs.....and I am just about to sit down to some scrapping.

The above layout is for this month's Scrap the Boys Challenge, I was inspired by Cathy Cafun to do some masking of some scrapware spiders I had and I think she has made me addicted to misting.....my only hope is I can become as good as her....

I received this amazing huge RAK from my gorgeous friend in USA Stacy, wow, I seriously broke down when I saw this package and what was in it....The little pando you see on the top is called "Bamboo" and is now in the bed with us as is Lamby and Guinea Pig.....

This was an amazing assortment of chocs she sent, there was one in particular called a half egg and it consisted of peanut butter, oh my goodness. So gorgeous...so I snuck those out for me....

So much wonderful goodness here and wow stamps, papers, and I love the gorgeous card she made for me. What a special lady she is, if you would like to visit her creative blog just click HERE.

Thanks so much Stacy, you made Nate and my year and I am going to do a double layout with Nate using the toys and craft goodies you sent for him. Love and safe wishes to all of you, my extended family. Love Melx and Natex.....

FS2S, Just for me

Hello everyone, hope you are all looking forward to a wonderful 5 day break here is Australia, and happy Easter to all my dear friends. The above layout is a "just for me" I wanted to document this occasion when Nate and Uncle Col were playing "HORSES" in the lounge room, it was hilarious. Now I had 4 photos so I cropped them all down and I actually used an A2Z chipboard title as the mask for the title, and then outlined the words and cut around it. So glad I got this wonderful night on paper to remember....

This is my entry for "From Screen to Scrap" this month, the criteria, 1. Use a rain related title, 2. An umbrella, and 3. 3 photos, 3 fonts etc....I used Bisous paper for this layout, and added some rub-ons to grunge up the background a bit, the first pic is Nate and he said "Mum it's gonna rain 2day!" and Jan said to him no Nate, it's not going to rain.....guess what - it rained, so Aunty Jan had to borrow his umbrella to go home. This is another great memory I am so glad to get into a layout.

We are off to the Zoo tomorrow, and our Food Bank where I volunteer is moving to new premises on Saturday so we will be there to help, Sunday is our Easter hunt, and Monday is a scrap day with Ms. Cafun....so a busy weekend. I hope you all have an amazing weekend.

Love to you all. Melxx

Challenge Masters Inspiration Challenge, Amber

Hello everyone, hope you are having a wonderful weekend. I would like to share a layout I did for Melissa Cook's Kraft Inspiration challenge at Challenge Masters, I used this photo of Amber (right) and myself as I wanted to document how courageous she is, she was 5 months pregnant with twins and was not having an easy pregnancy, lost her home in the floods, had her 5yr old daughter starting prep, a son who was in trauma with the happennings around him with the floods and a husband to boot, oh and a guinea pig, dog, and budgie......Throughout all of the surrounding tradgedy she had a smile on her face and always spoke positively and I just found her so inspirational....what a rock she was for her family.....so courageous. If you would like to check out the challenges at Challenge Masters click HERE.

Nate had the camera last night and whilst I was trying to scrap he was taking photos all by himself and all the while saying "Kiss me Mum" I think he did an awesome job too.

Hope all is well wherever you are, off to do some more blog hopping and hopefully start another layout. Love Melxx

Lollipop Ladies 2nd April Challenge, Burleigh Heads

Hello everyone, well I am back into it, took me a while after getting back from Holidays,  but thankfully I am as addicted as ever. I just loved the challenge at LOLLIPOP LADIES this month, easter eggs, so colourful and just look at those centres.......this is Nate and I on the Sesame Street Plane ride at Seaworld. We both had a lot of fun but I have decided that I took too many photos and am going to do a mini book of our visit.

 

Above is the gorgeous inspirational photo, the little extra criteria is to add some sparkle and/or glitter, I added some kindy glitz to my heading.

Nate actually asked me to take this photo, each arvo we would walk along the sidewalk right by the beach, and he would sometimes take his scooter. Boy as I look at this photo he is getting too big too fast.....He just loves this shirt, he says it is his favourite, the gorgeous Tanya Tahir and her family gave this to him. Thanks Tanya.

Well I am off to check out your blogs, Julie T-W just know I am still trying to get into your blog (their is now 2 blogs I cannot get into) but I will send you an email.

Love to you all. Melxx

Artastic Challenge DT entry

Good morning dear friends, well you can tell that Winter has started to arrive - both Nate and I have symptons of the cold but today is sunny and so beautiful here so I am going to scrapbook all arvo.

The above layout is my sister's 13yr old Maltese Snowy dressed up for her wedding in October last year, he was so cute and I submitted this layout for ARTASTIC this month, the criteria was to have a tree, some clouds, and use Autumn colours to you.

This is my layout for a great site I have found called CHALLENGE MASTERS, the criteria for this challenge was to use a line from a Grease song they selected.....they have amazing challenges and just click on the link to take you there.

To show you just how busy/slack/wrecked I have been since returning from Holidays I haven't even put my photos to the computer yet.....looking forward to showing you some photos. Love to you all,  will catch up with you all today. Love Melxx

Lollipop Ladies

Hello everyone, I am sorry that I have been away so long, I scheduled a post and it has not gone onto my blog, Nate and I are back from holiday yesterday afternoon. Without further ado this is the first inspiration layout for LOLLIPOP LADIES for April, now I so tried to get a picture of the gorgeous macaroons that is the inspiration this month but I just couldn't get it to work for me. So please pop over HERE to see it.

I used the gorgeous Bella Estate Sale papers for this and I always love SEI's gorgeous "chocolate" papers too. I added a cute little charm mum had on her car keys when I was little and some gorgeous American crafts felt leaves. I used dimensional magic to add some gloss to the petals of my flowers to make them shine and this is the extra criteria for this challenge.

I have really missed you all as visiting your blogs has become part of my daily life now. Hope you are all well and scrapping up a storm,  off to "Sing and Grow" and then back to visit you all and check out what you have all been doing. Love you and missed you all heaps. Melxx

12 giveaways from My2Angels

Hello dear friends, wow it is already Wednesday, where has the week gone again. Well as I mentioned I drove to the Coast to visit Tracy Keilty from My2Angels, Tracy asked me to be guest DT for her last year for My2Angels birthday celebrations and our friendship started from there.

Well as it is my birthday this weekend (43) I will be.....and Tracy has given me all these gorgeous pins, charms and a sample of this gorgeous ribbon, just click on the links to view them in her shop as close ups. Now Tracy calls these seconds....lol as they are perfect to me.....and I have been using her gorgeous pins and charms on my layouts and just love them, so their are 13 packs to giveaway....now all you have to do - don't worry it is super easy, just sign up for the My2angels newsletter or Facebook.........you don't even have to come back and tell me as Tracy will give me the names from the sign up list....and don't worry if you are already on her facebook and newsletter list, because you will go into the draw for a RAK from me and it will also have some of her pins, charms and other goodies.

Tracy doesn't send  internationally but I would still love you to join her on facebook so you will go into the drawer for a RAK from me too.

I will draw all the winners on 10th April, so not long to wait.

Link to Facebook sign up HERE

Link to My2Angels Home page for newsletter sign-up HERE

This is a picture of the 3 of us, Tracy in the middle and I also got to meet the wonderfully talented Ann Lavin, now she has a great blog called "Raggedy Ann's Playground" and we have been blogging to each other for ages and were delighted to meet each other.

Off to get inspired from you all. Love Melxx

Scrap the Boys, White with one, Nate Dog Dies

Morning dear friends, hope you all had a wonderful weekend, I drove down to the Gold Coast (which is truly an accomplishment in itself for me) to meet Tracy from My2Angels, I do not recommend this trip if you don't want to be overwhelmed with gorgeous, amazing products to see and feel, it is so always so much better for me to see and feel the products and the good news is Tracy is moving and will have a Bricks and Mortar shop, yay for me but not for my bank account.

(more about my scrap weekend next post)

I hope you like the above layout, this was done for Scrap the Boys, (so glad they are back) and this documents the day Nate had his soccer break up, I love these photos of him with his tropy, and when he received it, he ogled it and then turned around, put it in the air and sang out YAYYYYY....

This is my entry for White with 1 this month, my artisian shapes are my use of the Pink Paislee Artisian elements and transparencies. Nate is being held upside down by Uncle Col here, and I still smile when I see that gorgeous smile of his.

While at Tracy's, I got to see her amazing Off the Page work, I bought all the gorgeous products so I could have a go at this stunning creation, everything here is from her amazing shop and these gorgeous houses are available HERE and the stars HERE (which look awesome with kindy glitz), flowers HERE, the embossing goodies HERE and the gorgeous 10 x 10 memory frame HERE.  My camera skills just don't do this piece justice, it is just amazing.

I am off to check out your blogs and will share my photos and give aways that Tracy was so kind to let me share with you all.

Nate Dog died yesterday at the age of 41, after complications from having a stroke, I first heard his name when I was younger and into the rap type of music that was around then, I loved this name and from then on vowed if I ever had a boy I would use it, as Nate is my only child, I was lucky he was a boy as I got to use it. I often call him Nate Dog.....

                                                           R.I.P. Nate Dog

Love to you all. Melxx

Lollipop Ladies 2nd March Challenge

Hello dear friends, its Lollipop Ladies 2nd March challenge starting today, the above layout is my layout using the gorgeous pastel candy necklaces below.  The added criteria is to add some circles. Hope you join along for this great challenge. This picture is documenting a thing Nate did for ages whenever Col and Jan and I were together, we all put our hands on top of each others and then when Nate decided, we all threw our hands in the air and YAYYYYY...but this has now changed to a new little action, gosh trying to keep up...he is just so cute.

Below is my layout I did for Bird is the Word Challenge this month, unfortunately I didn't make the date to get it in but it was super fun making it. In this photo Nate has just received his gorgeous soccer trophy and is just staring at it. He starts under 4's in 2 weeks, so every Friday night will be out for us until season is over.

Hope you are all well, I am not sure what is happenning at the moment but I am so struggling with my time management - so many things on, housework, scrapping, keeping in touch with family, am I the only one who struggles to fit it all in??

Love to you all Melxx

Kraft it up March challenge, the lounge

Hello everyone, hope you and your family's are well as you read this. The above layout is for Kraft it up this month, and this is Nate pretty much every day, and he is definately my greatest gift. I hope you like it, the criteria this month was to use these words "there is no greater gift than today".

This is my computer area where I am typing right this very second, I like to call it my oasis as I am usually here because Nate has had tea and watching a dvd - which is "Marmaduke" by the way tonight. This is not where I scrap - I use half the kitchen table but will show you all that next post.

This is the leather lounge which has a few rules attached to it, all is good so far. I love fresh flowers, they make me feel good and I am guessing due to all the rain here are really cheap at the moment. And underneather the coffee table is the old hog Maxi just relaxing. 

This is just a room that is off the entry and as you can see my wine rack is empty, and hasn't had a bottle in it since Nate could crawl. I love a glass of wine on an occassion like a birthday etc, but it may have to wait a couple of years before I am game to stock it. The pic on the wall is one Dad and Mum left here in the house and it is the first picture they ever bought together and so it has some sentimental meaning to me.

Okay, it's Sunday night - "Who wants to be a supermodel" then probably to bed to read and look through the latest SBM mag. Love to you all, be visiting soon. Melxx