Do more with less challenge, Us shots

Hello everyone, hope you are all well, I created the above layout using some new Fiesta papers from We are memory keepers. Over at Yvonne's blog - Do more with less, she has a challenge each month, this month we were inspired by the stunning work of Elizaveta Danenkova from Russia, the idea was to create a vintage style layout, I still wanted to use these bright colours though....I hope you like it. 

Above is my toothless terror, looking at me when I am a little further away, I do have to get a better photo but since I printed my blog out in book form, photos like this will be awesome to look back on. (By the way, I have him booked in for a eye test) he does this quite often like he cannot focus unless he used his hands like binnoculars....but probably just a phase, worth the check though...

This is us on the balcony of our unit we stayed at whilst holidaying at Burleigh Heads.

He had his coffee (cammomile tea) and I had the real deal and we would sit out on the patio on what we called Poodle alerts, anytime we saw one (and there were heaps) someone would sing out....POODLE ALERT.

We had so much fun.....

Just a shot of my boy with his gorgeous teeth in tact, I know I am so bias but this photo melts my heart. Melxx

ArTastic DT layout, cousins

 Hi dear friends, this is my ArTastic DT challenge layout for June, I know it is still May by a few hours, but we have a tight schedule tomorrow. We have play and grow early and then going to a play centre for lunch so I won't be able to post until night.

This is the amazing inspiration painting (left) for this month, the extra criteria is to have 2 people in the photo, well I have Uncle Col and Nate, reading the instructions to his new remote controlled quad bike. Use some striped paper, well I have lots of stripes going on, even in those stunning Making Memories Kraft alphas, and to add a boat, see that cute little boat charm, it is from My2angels of course, and I tried to use the colours that appeared in the picture.

The papers are from Jillibean Soup and again layering different papers to get the texture and dimension I see to have gravitated to.

This is my cousin Alex(far right), can you believe I met him at the Burleigh Heads kids park, I said "Hey is that you Mr. Crighton" and he was super stunned too and said "yes it is Miss O'Neill"...he was leaving that day to go home with his family, damm, but we still had a great day together, the kids got on really well, Nate loves his cousins, we haven't gone there with the 2nd cousin thing (the explaining) they are his cousins and that is how we have left it, Alex was always my fave cousin, he is my age and we had to go through 12 months of communion training together every Friday....say no more.....

May was ArTastic's birthday again, where did that year go, this was the card I sent my mum for Mother's day this year.

The other part of the contests for the Celebrations were to make up a poem......well here was my poem, first time so be kind.


NATE AND ME

So now I am a mum
never sitting on my bum

Putting things away
Is it really already May

The things you say are funny
that's right we're out of honey

You love your 2 black poodles
Hang on, I have to turn off the noodles

Not as much time to scrap
And forget about that arvo nap

I love you so very much my boy
You are a delight, my love, my joy

by Melissa O'Neill


Talk soon, Melxx

A2Z - Challenge -I love Bax -Crate Toy Box

Hello dear friends, hope the weather is awesome where you are, gorgeous and sunny here, and Nate and I are having a lazy Sunday, going to take the dogs for a walk to a friends later but just relaxing this morning.

I created this layout for the A2Z challenge using a photo I have used before but I wanted to document how Nate calls Max our 16yr old poodle BAX. I know he can say Max but he just chooses to say it. I bought this poodle die for my sizzix about 3 years ago and would you believe it is the first time I have ever used it.....I bet you can believe it.

I used the Crate Toy Box papers here, backed the sticker sheet onto black to give it some extra oomph. and those little circles are just the end of a glue bottle, I have added some of the gorgeous Purple Pumpkin products I bought recently and also the gorgeous felt heart and pin from My2angels. Which reminds me she is having a HUGE SALE, so bargains to be had...

A close up of the gorgeous PP embellies and my glue bottle top stamping. Those pins from My2angels come in super handy to add the date too.

And this time I decided to add the journalling around the page a bit, just had to get this story down.

I layered the red alphas over some stickers for a little extra dimension.

Hope you are all well, Blogger is so far okay, so I will spend some time visiting you all now. Have a great day. Melxx

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