Bird is the Word & Scrappassion February Challenge, a blast from the past

Morning everyone, wow, that was one busy week for me, but I managed to do a layout for Bird is the Word. I love these challenges, and this month the word was PASSION and Nate has a definate passion for water....this is him at Seaworld in the Sesame Street water playground. I used some papers dear Cathy gave me recently, a gorgeous My2angels charm and her new Boys at play pins and a Chip Chop Shop super cute fimo owl.

I am not an OTP girl but wanted to enter the Scrappassion altered Jar contest this month, I made this using the Websters Vellum sheet that came in this month's Nook kit and put heart shaped choccies in it and added some Prima butterflies and large peony.

This is a layout I did of Nate was 6 mths old so this would have been a late 2007 layout, I was originally a 8.5" x 11" scrapper and wow has my style changed hey.

Hope you are all well, and look forward to being inspired by you all with your layouts and cards. Love Melx

Get Picky, Old Layout, Present from Tanya

Hello everyone, wow what a hot day here today it is 38 degrees inside my house at 5.16pm. Bring on Autumn. I would love to show you my Get Picky Layout, this is my brother Craig and Nate at my sister's wedding, the colours in the photos lent themselves to a majority blue and yellow colour scheme and I love my clay buttons from Purple Pumpkin and my denim flowers and yellow material flower from Chellebean Designs and the stickers are from SRM stickers which Tanya sent me.

This is a layout I did in March 2008, Nate was just 12 months old. my style back then was so "out there" but I love the pics of him so thought seeing I was doing some DT work for a team I have been asked to join this week and I have no other layouts to share....I would show you all, I am going to get my blog made into a book at some stage soon, so by addding these older layouts they will be in the book this way.

Here is Nate just after openning his parcel he received from Tanya Tahir, she sent Nate this gorgeous Big Ben car set and some gorgeous clothes and I wasn't missed either receiving some gorgeous stash. As you can see this certainly made our day receiving such gorgeous parcels in the mail. Thank you Tanya and your wonderful family, you are very generous and kind.

Hope the weather is lovely where ever you are, if it stays this hot we will have to go into the bedroom where there is air-con and have an early night.

Love to you all,
Melissa xx


Just a note: Amanda Taylor lost her gorgeous dog Angel this weekend, I too loved this dog, she was really an angel, I am so sorry to hear the news Amanda.

Let's Get Shabby, Glee Club Challenges

Hello everyone, I have a double layout to share today, using the Nook kit again, these two just danced and had a ball at my sister's wedding in October last year, and because of the wedding theme have entered it into Let's Get Shabby challenge this month, I used an amazing sketch from "Scrapbook and Cards Today".

Page 1, she has him right where she wants him.....

Page 2, "Oh Lolita (what a gorgeous name) I cannot get up, please HELP"

Before I share my Glee Club layout I wanted to tell you about an awesome

 SALE @ MY 2 ANGELS

all Patterned Papers and I mean all are HALF PRICE, and bling is 30% off and whilst you are there, check out her stunning handmade pins and gorgeous charms, oh and chipboard....just click on the link and it will take you right there.

The above layout is my (Alternative Theme Layout) for Glee Club at Soul Scrappers. You had to make an alternative type layout and use a word from a "Train" song title, I used ORDINARY....hope you like it.

And lastly a photo of Master Nate at Seaworld looking at the Polar Bear....



Hope you all are having a wonderful week, will catch up soon. Love Melxx

Get Picky, Show us your stuff Challenges

Hi everyone, by the skin of my teeth, here is my Get Picky layout for the first half of February, with this challenge you have to take inspiration from the lyrics of a great song.....this is Nate with a friend Alexa, this is before she started school this year so he hasn't seen her for a while.

This is my entry for Show us your stuff Challenge Blog, I used the gorgeous papers from The Nook February Kit, and I made the purple buttons with bling inside and the heart in the bow centre. This is a friend Elsa who comes to our Tuesday Morning ladies' Group, she is a big kid at heart and Nate loves her.

Michelle sent me the ingredients to make SMORES and this weekend I tried them, super yum, totally fattenning.....but the marshmallows she sent actually expand and are super delicious...thanks Shell, I feel I have tried a little of your culture....how are you so slim I ask?.

Tomorrow I am going over to Cathy Cafun's, wonder if we'll get any scrapping done. Hope you all have a fantastic week. Love Melxx

From Screen to scrap Feb Challenge

Hello everyone, I only have one layout to show you today, this is my challenge layout for From Screen to Scrap, the criteria is 1. A black background, 2. A heart on the layout and 3. Have the word valentine on the layout. My layout title in full reads "Know this, Believe you are mummy's valentine Everyday". This is us playing spiders in the bath.

Before I show you some photos I would love to encourage you all to visit my dear friend AMBER'S BLOG, as you know we recently had devastating Floods over here in Ipswich and she lost her house, her possessions and most of her life in one day.....She is an awesome scrapper, and I know your support would just lift her up with just a blog post. Thank you in advance. She is a rock for her family, has two beautiful children, a great husband and is having twins in July.

This is Nate and I just before he is blowing out his 4th birthday candles on his birthday. He has a huge grin and chocolate all over his face which is sooo cute.

And Col and Jan gave him his own electric drill, he just loves it, and has a board that he practises on every day, he is very good with his fine motor skills here. He has to charge it and Grampsy and Col have given him instructions.

Nate always has 2 cakes on his birthday, this is the one I made for him, Chocolate on chocolate with a spiderman iced piece, and some of his favourite chocs, Ferrero Roche chocolates and a spiderman figurine. He has an addiction for blowing out candles hence the 2 cakes since he was 2.

Hope you are all well, going to try to scrap tonight, running out of layouts to show.....just been so busy. Off to gather some inspiration from you all. Melxx

White with 1 Feb Challenge, Kraft it Up Feb Challenge

Hi everyone, well after 5 days of unbearable heat it is overcast today which has relieved the scorching temps just a little. Hope you all had great weekends, we went to the outdoor movies to see "Alvin & the chipmunks 2" and it was wonderful, Nate was mesmerised.

The above layout is for the White with 1 challenge this month, I enjoyed pulling apart a pattern to make the frill on the outside edge and added a sentitment I hope Nate will read one day. We were mucking around in the backyard in this photo and he was giving me kisses then just licked me.....well it was just a stage he was going through I guess because it hasn't happenned again and I just had to document it.

This is my layout for Kraft it Up this month, Black orange and Teal were the criteria and this is Nate and Cooper looking out at the view from the new bridge in town that links Riverlink to the Mall.

And well this photo is Nate (with a milk moustache) responding to me when I asked him to look at me as this is sometimes the only way I know he is actually listening to me......."I see you mum" he said.

Hope you are all well wherever in the world you are, off now to check out your layouts for some inspiration. Love Melxx

Scrap it Lah, Lollipop Ladies

Hello everyone, I have completed 2 layouts this week so far, and being a slow scrapper and mum to Nate this is a real accomplishment. The above layout is for Scrap-it-Lah, have some good friends on the DT there and they inspired me to do this challenge which was to make a layout for Valentine's Day not using any pinks or reds.

This layout is for Lollipop Ladies, had to be inspired by mint, fudge and chocolate this month, I totall enjoyed using these prima and Webster's papers and if their is a positive to come out of the floods here is that I lost a lot of supplies but it is making me go to the older stored papers that survived.

I am praying that no-one was hurt with the devastation Cyclone Yasi created this week. Crazy weather all around the world at the moment. I have charity work at Gleaners today, and tomorrow we are going to movies in the park - Alvin & the Chipmunks is playing.

Hope you are all well, off to be inspired by your works. Love Melxx

Artastic Challenge February, Nook kit (December)

Morning everyone, this is my layout for Artastic DT this month, you know I am not quite ready to do a layout about my past year and the turmoil that it came with but the criteria was 1. Has to be something  about me 2. Have wings on it (my butterfly) and 3. a mirror image or 2 or more photos of the same subject. So this is about my love for my dog Max, he is so old and still loyal and he means the world to me, I cherish everyday with this man and I have asked him every year for the last 4 years to be my valentine and he just wags his tail....he is the perfect man for me (at this stage). lol

This layout is just for me but I will put it in the Nook Kit Gallery as it is their amazing December My Mind's eye kit, every kit is just stunning and whilst I have the Christmas photos out I am determined to scrap all this year's, but I still have some from 2 years ago to scrap (go figure) I will get to the others......(will I?)

This is a picture of Nate at 6months old, if anyone can tell me where the time and my figure has gone, please let me know, I think I was size 10-12 here and oh gosh this little man is now 4.....

Love to you all. Melxxx

Scrapjacked, 123 challenge

Hi everyone, Just by the skin of my teeth I finished 2 challenges yesterday and had to upload them for today, the above layout is for the SCRAPJACKED challenge, I chose to copy a layout by the super talented Julie Dudley, I hope she will like it. Below is her version that I copied from. The pic is one of my favourites Jan took of me feeding Nate strawberries in the bath.......

(This is Julie's gorgeous layout)

And below for 123 CHALLENGE, the criteria - colours purple, use punches and have the word Beautiful on the page. I love purple but had to hunt to find this paper, it is the Fancy Pants "Girl" line from about a year ago. The layout is of my sister's wedding where Nate was the Page Boy. I used my Creative Memories small circle punch to create the scollops and although it took a lot of time, I really enjoyed making this.

Nate gets his 4yr old needles today and then we are going to Amber's (her house was completely covered by 10m of water in the flood) got together some toys and excess scrappy supplies to give her, she is doing well, being extremely positive even though her flood cover didn't cover her for this particular flood?

I hope you are all well and enjoy the new week ahead, look forward to catching up with you all soon. Love Melxx

My Little Shoebox Sketch challenge. Handmade by Suzanne

Hello everyone,  hope you and your families are well. Well the scrapping bug didn't take long to hit me and I am so happy. I have missed it so much. The above layout is for the sketch challenge at My Little Shoe Box this month, I just scraped it in. This is Hog Senior, and he has an obsession too, with balls, at 14.5 yrs he will still chase a ball 24/7. God Bless this gorgeous animal.

The layout below is for Handmade by Suzanne's sketch this month, Sam Hauzer designed the sketch and I just loved it. Just before Christmas our Lady's Group went to the Queen's Park restaurant for lunch and we drove Dawn, Nate took her hand and said "Follw me", it was just so cute.

It is super hot here at the moment and with all the rain we had it seems like Summer is finally here (well the heat) anyway. We have a belated Australia Day party in the park this afternoon so Nate will have a great time, but you know I look forward to it, but will be looking forward to coming home to scrap tonight too. Told you I have the bug.....

Take care until next time, off to check out your amazing blogs, you are all the reason I have the bug back, thank you. Love Melxx

Get Picky, The Phone Call.

Morning everyone, hope you are all well and enjoying this new week, here is my Get Picky layout, it was a gorgeous sketch and I just had to use these photos of Nate and I, his faces are just too cute, the "e" in the title is black but this is because he got to it with a black marker.  Not sure if you can see the pin in the bottom right hand corner but Tracy from My2angels makes them, they are just gorgeous and add the perfect touch to finish off the layouts.

Poor old Maxi, this is the love and attention he gets from Nate on a daily basis, and at 14.5 yrs old he handles it super well and just loves this boy.

I cannot believe this young man is 4 on Thursday, the time as you know just flies, and this photo is going to definately go on his 21st photo collage, he just loves veges and all things good, he would rather eat a carrot than a biscuit, (gee I wish his mum was like this). So when dear Barb gave us some parsley it didn't last long.

I got the most beautiful phone call this morning, Michelle from Texas. USA called, wow, what a buzz hearing this gorgeous girl and her amazing acsent....although she says I have one too. She sounds super gorgeous just as her picture dipicts and thank you Shell I am still on cloud 9.

Hope you all are enjoying your week, look forward to catching up soon. Love Melxx

Dearest Dearest Friends

Wow, have I really been away from you all for so long, firstly, I have to thank each and every one of you, you are the reason I have woken this morning with such a wonderful energy and resilience even I cannot explain, the support, well wishes, cyber hugs and prayers worked and I am so very grateful to each of you, you really are my strength through my troubles. I am going to spend the next few days returning to your blogs to thank you personally, but there is so much more to scrapping I realise now, it is about documenting the memories but it is also about the friends you make with this obsessive hobby, I have truly missed you. For those of you who know my troubles, thank you again for your kind, thoughtful and encouraging words, you girls have moved mountains for me. I do not know how I can ever repay you. But I arrived home to stay for good this morning, we have cleaned up downstairs and I have salvaged some scrapping stash (this was the most important) so I am ready to scrap again. Whilst at mum and dad's I did a layout, a just for me as I had no internet and it was so amazing the feeling to sit and use my glue and paper again, this really is a blessed hobby.

Notice how he always puts the bung in between his 2nd toes, he is so cute. I got home to a gorgeous package a couple of days ago from Michelle in Texas, USA and she sent me these gorgeous papers and ingredients for Smores which I cannot wait to make. Michelle you are beautiful, Nate loves the car keys and the decorations will adorn our Christmas tree this year.

This was the photo of our visit with Santa in early December, Stanley is on the left and the old hog (14.5 yrs) is the right. They were all so good this day.

I look forward to visiting you all, give me a couple of days I am assured each of you have lots for me to catch up on. I cannot wait.

I really mean this when I say I feel like you are my sisters. I love you. Melxxxxxx

Sketches 4 all, Crate Challenge Layout, Christmas Photos, Page Maps2

Hello everyone, hope you are enjoying your weekends, wet again here, we had 2 dry days though which was nice to get some washing dry....Well we had our busy week here, we went to see Frosty and Nate had a great time, and Thursday I stayed home and did the layout above which was for the colour challenge on the Crate Blog. I treasure it when Nate comes up and kisses me and says " I wuv you muumm" so I just wanted to document these great shots I took using my other hand.....

This is the great photo I got when we went to our local shopping centre for their photo shoots with Santa. It was great. They said it was such a success they will do it over 2 days next year. I was on a waiting list until the Friday before this shot was taken so feel lucky I made the cut....
Stanley is on the left and Maxi (his dad) is the greyer 14 yr old hog.

Bought myself this book as an early Christmas present a few weeks back and just love it, the layout for the Crate blog challenge is from this book, I have completed 2 layouts so far using it, it takes me out of my usual style and I am enjoying using it.

At Sketches 4 all this month, there is so many fantastic prizes up for grabs, you just have to come and join in, I have just won the ECHO PARK BOY papers and am stoked as I just love them. The above layout is for Fia's sketch challenge, and again the prize is just amazing, and I also have a great rak up for grabs to the winner of the "Scrap your traditional colours for Christmas" challenge. All you have to do is create a Christmas layout using the colours you love for Christmas, I am a red green and gold girl but there are some amazing colour schemes in the GALLERY.  Just press HERE to check out this sensational challenge blog.

Love to you all, I hope you and your family's are well, thank you for being my extended family, you all mean the world to me. Love Melxx

Get Picky Inspiration Challenge, Anna's craft cupboard

Hello everyone, hope this post finds you all okay and the weather isn't creating too much havoc where you live.....for all the overseas visitors, it has been raining fairy consistently here for over 13 days and in some parts of our country their are terrible floods and people are trapped in their towns. We are okay here but the yard is a mess and everything stinks because of the dampness.

The layout above is for the GET PICKY INSPIRATIONAL CHALLENGE this month, it was a beautiful Audrey Hepburn Quote. I guess for me, I just love how Nate and I can sit anywhere and be silly and act crazy, he is so much fun and I really enjoyed using the WRMK papers for this layout.

Over at Anna's Craft Cupboard, they had a gorgeous sketch by Wendy Smith this month and again I used up some WRMK papers to show how Nate tries to fool me into thinking he is asleep. The arvo sleeps are not happenning so much anymore and he perhaps lays down 2 arvos at the most depending on the energy he has expended. Just another milestone I guess.

This morning we went to a little show and story telling morning tea at Riverlink and Nate met Frosty the Snowman, Mrs. Claus and some Christmas Elves. He had a great time. We had our Ladies' group Christmas party yesterday which was just wonderful and Monday a High Tea at a friends place - she is an awesome cook and I just loved the awesome delights she made so its home tomorrow...yay!

This is me and "the Junior Hog" Stanley, although I gave his mop top a cut just this week he still needs a bit more cut off, I love the way he shows the white in his eyes when he looks at you. He is my older poodle Maxi's son and is 8 years old. I will post the photo I got recently of the two fur kids and Nate with Santa, it turned out beautiful.

Only 17 sleeps until Santa comes, scary hey. Love to you all. Melxxx

Artastic December challenge, Frosted Designs.

Hello dear friends, hope this post finds you well and happy, well it may be Christmas but there is no stopping the challenges they just keep coming, and this month at arTASTIC it was a doozy, for the full diva demand points you have a stable, gold embossing and and angel displayed on your page. I called in the big guns for this, prima papers, my a2z window which is actually looking into my stable and I gold embossed the word child and the star above the "i", the angel is on the right and is cut from a diary I once had. Hope you like the end result.

I just love arTASTIC, Shazza always manages to set "out of the box" criteria and I always really have to think about my layouts. Isn't this pic of Nate super cute....he is so gorgeous with his angelic face when he sleeps.

Friends Deb and Ange are on the DT for "Frosted Designs" so I participated in their Blog hop today, it was great, so much eye-candy and great prizes too. The layout you need to create has to incorporate bling or sparkle. I created this layout of "Angel" she is good friend Amanda Taylor's beautiful dog and I added kindyglitz to all the flowers and the trail of the butterfly and was totally guilt free as their is no Nate in this layout....

In this pic Nate is flying a kite but he let go of the string and it just flew off and luckily I caught him laughing his head off as he ran after it. We had a wonderful day at the park. We have tried several times since this day and unfortunately there has not been enough wind to fly the kites again. So I guess this makes this day extra special.

A few weekends ago we went to the O'Neill yearly Christmas get together and Nate got to catch up with my cousins kids, it was just wonderful, here is Harriet and Nate just looking out over Wivenhoe Dam. I had a great time catching up with my cousins, Aunt's & Uncles, and to see our kids playing together was just priceless. This photo is just another example of Nate growing up. Wow he is growing into a little man right before my eyes...SLOW DOWN......not too fast.......just a little longer.....

Love to you all and your families. Melxx

Bo Bunny Challenge, A2Z sketch challenge & Wedding photos

Morning all, not sure what is happenning but I just seem to be getting up earlier and earlier, Nate stays in bed until 8am and I am up around 5am. It is raining here and apparently is not going to stop in the near future, so their may be a great chance to get lots of scrapping done.

The above layout is one I did for the "Bo Bunny" Challenge - which was design a layout and say what you love most about YOU. I had these one handed photos I took of Max and I so just had to use them. Now the gorgeous flower I made using a great tute from Julie Dudley which you can find HERE, these are my new fixation. The round yellow crepe paper flower is from Chelley Bean Designs and the little flower centre and gorgeous ladybug pin are from Mel Pizzinga Designs.

This is my layout for A2Z for November, I used the gorgeous We are Memory Keepers papers "Maple Grove, this is a picture of Nate sitting on our wooden seat up the back yard eating star fruit.

And here are some gorgeous pics of my sister's wedding, Nate was the page boy and really did a great job, my sister looked simply stunning.

This is the pre Ceremony photos of Julie and Morrie's wedding, Nate  looks debonaire and little Lolita (Morrie's Granddaughter) looks stunning.

And this is after the ceremony, no music just lots of Boogie happenning. Just love the shirt hanging out, it's a boy thing.....

Love to you all, hope you are all happy and you and your family's healthy. Love Melxx