MERRY CHRISTMAS

Well Christmas is nearly here and the boys can't wait!! Not sure what Riley is going to think when all the christmas decorations and lights get put away!!! Yesterday the boys got up close and personal with Santa, although poor little Riley must have thought Santa wasn't real so as soon as Santa spoke, Riley ran in the other direction...lol!! So no santa photo this year!

Anyway, just wanted to wish you your families all a very safe and relaxing Christmas and hope you all have a fantastic start to 2010. Hope santa finds you!!! hahaha!!

MERRY CHRISTMAS, SEE YOU IN 2010!!

Love Melinda xx

A scrappy weekend!!

Hello everyone,
Yes I had a very scrappy weekend. I know I should have been doing a heap of other things like getting ready for Christmas but I just wanted to and felt like scrapping!!! It was Bon's CC on Friday night so I managed to do the sketch challenge given to us by Felicity. It was a nice and easy sketch to do at this time of the year. And seeing as tho it was Bon's Christmas Party I decided to do a Christmas LO. Yep...I still haven't scrapped photos from last years Christmas....slack hey!! Anyway, here it is....

These two I did for Stuck!? Sketches. I just loved the sketches this month, they were nice and easy. I know you have already seen a LO with the photo of Brad, Riley and Finlay but I wanted to do another one for each of the boys.

Scrap the Boys for their December and last challenge is "Is your boy an Angel or Grinch?" . This is my take on the challenge. Didn't think I would get to do this challenge but I suprised myself.

Well I better keep going and get a few things done. Have a great day :-)

Love

Melinda xx

ITS CHRISTMAS TIME

at BONS!!!!



FRIDAY 18TH DECEMBER...

8:30pm - welcome drinks
9pm - sketch
8:45pm - bingo
9pm - xmas photos
9:15pm - scraplift
9:30pm - xmas trivia - will continue over the weekend
drinks and bingo and general chat will be in chatzy....
http://www.chatzy.com/790191150956

Register and PM one of the DT for the password if you don't have it...
Don't forget to put your bingo words in.
Hope to see you there.

Just a couple of LO's I managed to do yesterday. These are both for the Dec monthly challenges at Bon's.

For the sketch challenge we also had to incorporate newspaper and transparancy PLUS a LO with no title, strip journelling instead. Newspaper and no title is something I have never done before so I am really enjoyed putting this one together.

The December Write Now challenge was to journel about a something in the photo, not someone. PLUS the extra criteria was to use decorative scissors and dots. Do you know how long its been since I used decorative scissors????!!! Way too long...had to hunt them down. hahaha!!

Hope you are all have a great week :-)

Love

Melinda xx

Just a quick one...

Just a quick post today as I have two very sick little boys at the moment who are both striving for my attention! Just wanted to post a LO I did from the class I did with Felicity from Bons on Monday night. I used the yummy December boy kit from Bons to do this gorgeous LO. It was fabulous to try different styles/techniques that I don't usually do so I was really happy how it turned out. I can't wait to use more of the kit.

Well I am hoping the boys might have a good sleep today as I would like to get a few more LO's & Christmas cards done before Christmas....see how I go...

Have a good day :-)

Love

Melinda xx

I'm Back!!

Hello everyone,

Did you miss me...hahaha!!! Last week we went away for part of the week for a much needed break. But before I left I did managed to get some scrapping done that I didn't get around to share. I did this one for the ROTM over at Bons. Here is the Room that was picked by the lovely Skye.

So the idea basically is to pick something from this room that inspires you. It doesn't necessarily have to be the colours, it could be shapes, something in the room or you could even turn the room into a sketch. This time around I went with shapes. I was inspired by the two rectangle prints and the curves in the chair. Plus the uncluttered room inspired me to do a really simple LO. So walaa....here it is!!

Also I have managed to catch up on a couple of classes that I were running at Bons. The first one was Skye's class. She was using the November girl kit, which I didn't have, so I used the November boy kit instead.

The next class I did was Gigi's. I was helping her raise money for a sensory room for her son. She was showing us how to make these awesome tissue paper flowers. They were so easy to make and very effective on a LO.

Anyway, I must go and get a heap done. You know what its like when you have been away, there is always so much to catch up on.

Have a wonderful week - only 11 days to go before Christmas...eeek!!!
Love
Melinda xx

Hmmmm......

Its Friday and that means nearly the weekend!!!!!! I wonder what you have planned for the weekend?? We don't have much planned at the moment but that is bound to change! Well I have been working on Round 4 of the Win a Kit competition at Bons earlier in the week. Its the last round but I still have to complete one of December's challenges before Sunday....easy hey, hahaha!!! This round we had to make our own mask, get our punches out and punch something and knot something. This is what I came up with.....So different for me but I always wanted to try a fun LO.

Well the boys are at daycare today, so I have plenty to do, need to do some more shopping, housework and definitely some scrapping!!!!

I will leave you with some photos of a typical afternoon when Brad arrives home...these are so adorable and can't wait to scrap them, I think they are so cute. The boys love to have this moment with Daddy before he hops out the car. At Bon's we are being encouraged everyday in December to get the cameras out and take photos of something each day, so you will be seeing a lot more photos from me hopefully.

Yesterday the boys had a lovely time with my dad and my grandad. They were down here in Brisbane on business and spent the afternoon with the boys.

Well its hard to believe my baby is 14 months old today! He is growing up so fast, I think it has a lot to do with having an older brother!! He has the most adorable little curls, which is not surprising with all the curly head people in my family, starting to talk more often, can ride his bike now, loves all food and is a real little climber. Loves to climb up the slippery slide, stand up, get all excited, get the wobbles (from being excited) and give mummy a heart attack in the mean time!!! Where has the time gone!!

Well better keep going. Have a lovely Friday and a wonderful weekend!

Love & hugs

Melinda xx :-)

Look...

this is what I am getting in the mail in a few days time. Its another one of Bon's yummy boy kits for December. Pity this month is so busy for me, but I know I will always find time to scrap!!! hahaha!! Anyway, go and get yourself one here, but be quick as they won't last long and are great value for money.

Anyway one of the lovely ladies, Giovanna Scott, at Bon's is hosting a fundraising class tomorrow night. The fee will be $10 and 100% of the proceeds will go towards the equipment needed at Rainer's school in their newly acquired SENSORY ROOM. You can get more information on Gigi's blog HERE. But you will need to be a member of the forum and make the donation to access the classroom.

Thats all for me today, pretty boring I know, but I will have some LO's and photos to share later in the week. Just need to do a bit of editing.

Love
Melinda xx

ITS DECEMBER!!!

Well this post was meant to be done yesterday but blogger wouldn't let me in!! Oh well...

Hope you all had a good weekend. Ours was pretty low keyed. Brad and I spent the day together on Friday as the boys were in daycare and we had a shopping day! Was soooo lovely to spend some time together, spent way too much money as usual!! Saturday saw us put up our Christmas tree. This year Rily is soooo excited about Christmas. Its all he talks about at the moment, he loves the lights and is always studying the christmas stuff in the junk mail catalogues. So cute. He now knows quite a few christmas carols so we get around the house singing those during the day. We don't celebrate christmas in a big way, for us its more about being with family during the holiday period so our tree is a non traditional quite a quirky little christmas tree, which I love.

We have to have it sitting up on our buffet as Finlay is still in the chewing and putting everything in your mouth stage!! Maybe next year it will look nice out the window! Sunday night we went christmas light looking!! There were surprisingly quite a few houses with their lights on. Poor Riley didn't want to come home, he was so taken up with the lights and all the christmas decorations etc!!


Well last week was extremely busy for me, trying hard to get last minute challenges done.

Here are some of the LO's I completed last week. The first one is for the November challenge at Scrap the Boys. It was all about the nursery rhyme - Snips and snails and puppy dog tails.

These two I did using the yummy November boy kit from Bons.

I still have plenty left of the November kit so will be using that this week. Have completed two more LO's last night, just need to get them uploaded so will do that today.

Hope everyone has a very enjoyable week. Stay cool, its pretty hot here in Brisbane at the moment.

Thank you everyone for your lovely comments, it brings a smile to my face :-)
Love
Melinda xx

November Challenges

Thought I would quickly post a couple of LO's I did for some of the November challenges at Bons.


The monthly sketch was a nice and easy sketch to follow...especially for me...hahaha!! and Felicity provided a gorgeous sample for us. This is what I came up with. Extra criteria was to include bookpaper and distressing.

This one was for the Write Now challenge which we had to scrap holiday photos. Extra criteria was, multiple photos, paint, PP as a background and of course as the challenge is titled, its all about the journelling. I wanted to keep this one nice and simple cause I wanted to focus to be on the photos.

Anyway, I had a fantastic morning over at a girlfriends place with her newborn little girl. She also has a little boy Riley's age so they had a good time playing together as well. Made me VERY clucky!!!! Well better get a few things done while they are still asleep.

Love
Melinda xx

I am so lucky...

to have sisters who are my best friends!! I seriously don't know what I would do without them. This week at Bon's CC, Bon set us a colour challenge of blue, teal, red, black and white only with photo/s of a friends/s and some meaningful journelling. So I hummed and arhed over what photo to do and finally settled on scraping a photo of my beautiful sisters. The photo was taken ages ago, I think I was pregnant with one of the boys but I always liked it. Even tho its not a great photo, it had a lot of meaning to me. We plan this christmas to get a whole heap of family photos. Anyways, here it is...

The sketch challenge at Bon's CC was awesome and this is what I came up with. We had to use fabric, dots and checks. Loved this one, it totally got me out of my comfort zone.

Well Round 4 is up for the "win a 3 month kit subscription". I love it!! This time we have to make our own mask, use a punch & knot something ie ribbon etc. PLUS we have to do at least one of the December monthly challenges all due by the 6th December. So I better get cracking. Still have a few November challenges I would like to get finished.

Stay tuned I have two challenges on the go and hopefully will have them finished in the next day or so.

Keep smiling :-)
Love Melinda xx

Its Friday and its HOT!!

Man, its hot...trying to stay cool is a full time job...haha!! so glad for air con, although I am never glad when I get the power bill.!!


Well the boys are at daycare today and I have been busy running errands and doing washing and all the lovely housey duties....but I just wanted to quickly post up a LO I did last night for the November CC at Bons. It was to scraplift my LO!!! And this is how different I came up with. What do you think?? Look anything like my other one...LOL.!! I love it, it just came together nicely for a change. Did the opposite....well I really LOVED Charm's scraplift so I scraplifted hers!! The extra criteria are there, the little black brads and the white heart brad as well as using a diecut as a stencil, which is the scallops. I just love the scrolled paper, it really draws your attention to the photo.

Also there is a photography challenge running at the moment at Bons. Loads of fun. Everyday we need to take a photo of something..Yesterday it was something started with "A"...I thought about and thought about and eventually I got the dictionary out...hahaha!!! But then I had a brainwave...well I thought it was...I remembered in my box of party stuff, I had left over from Finlay's birthday, some ALLEN lollies...

So what do you think?? I think YUMMY!!!! haha!! Today is "Look up high and I see" hmmmm....need to think more about that, have an idea but hopefully it will work.

So what are you plans for the weekend?? Well not much here, its going to be hot, so might get the pool out for the boys...although they have a birthday party to go to in the morning. The little boy across the road is 3 tomorrow. So they will go over for that for a couple of hours, but I am hoping to scrap...that's a definite, I suppose washing, and should do some tidying up.

Whatever you do, stay cool, I think everywhere is hot at the moment. Have a great weekend and I will catch up with you next week. I will definately have some more LO's to share.

Thank you for all your comments, you brighten up my day :-)
Love you all
Melinda xx

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MUM!!!

Happy birthday to my very beautiful mum!! Wishing you a terrific day, know that you will cause you are at the beach!!!! Half your luck!! Won't tell you how old she is...she may not like it...lol!!


Thought I would quickly share a LO I did over at Bons for the November room of the month. Yes I did a pink LO for a boy!!! Actually have done a few pink LO's in the last few weeks. Will share some more later. I am loving machine stitching at the moment. Having fun playing around on my sewing machine.

Big day today and I have lots of scrapping to do, so better keep going.

Be back later with more.

Love

Melinda xx

What a night!!!!!!!!

Yep had a fantastic cybercrop night over at Bons. I had been feeling a little blah all day and talking to the girls and seeing the challenges made my night (even tho I didn't win bingo!! haha!!). In fact I couldn't wind down for a looooong time afterwards, lying in bed thinking of all I had to so, photos to organise, papers I wanted to use, colours, designs all going over in my head....a little annoying when I know I should be asleep as the boys wake early. Does this happen to you??


Anyway, your not going to believe but the ever gorgeous Charm from Bons chose one of MY layouts to scraplift. You can imagine how surprised I was to see it. Its this one.

Its funny but when I finished this one, I wasn't entirely happy with it. Just didn't turn out how I imagined. I guess it goes to show that everyone's LO's have things that appeal to different people. Charm did an amazing job in scraplifting it too. Go over to Bons and check it out. Oh some extra criteria required for this one is to use Brads and a Diecut as a stencil. I am looking forward to doing this one.

Bon has set a fantastic colour challenge. Colours this time are blue, teal, red, black and white and needs to be a LO of a friend or friends with meaningful journalling. Can't wait to try this one.!

Skye has given us a sketch which looks awesome BUT extra criteria is fabric and polka dots and checks together!!!!!!!!!!!!!! First of all I thought, what the!! but after I had a look in my stash, I think I have something that will work.

PLUS the fabulous and beautiful Felicty has a photography challenge running all week. Yesterday it was to take a photo from our kitchen window, and today it is "today I am....." should be lots of fun. And there is a blog hop too.

So there is loads for me to do. I have to have a least one of these completed by Sunday for the "win a kit" competition, but I hopefully want to get them all done.

Anyway best keep going and get a few things done. The day is going to be a hot one again.!!!

Take care and keep smiling :-)

Love and hugs
Melinda xx

A few more to share...

Well I just thought I would share a couple of other LO's I managed to get done over the weekend for Scrapability Sketches. I was doing my usual blog hopping and came across this site and loved the couple of sketches they had going for November. You should go over there and have a go. Lovely bunch of girls.




Anyway, Bon's Cybercrop is on today and I can't wait! Will be back to share those LO's.

Love
Melinda xx

Scrappy Weekend!

Well I had a scrappy weekend...which felt sooooooo good.!! Brad had a night with the boys on Friday night so I stayed home and while my little boys were asleep I scrapped the night away and ended up with two LO's finished....never done that before!!! So I thought I would share.


This one is for the "win a kit"competition over at Bons. The challenge this time was to create a LO with a B&W photo, only 3 PP, 1 Diecut and it had to have scallops in there somewhere. PLUS...there was a list of elements to which we had to choose 7 but I impressed myself and was able to use all of them. So here it is. I was so impressed with how it all came together.

Using the paper of the month over at Bons. Loved it so much that I even bought 2 pieces of it!! lol.... its the Basic Grey urban prairie/morning glory paper. You can buy it here.

I ended up doing two more pages but I will share with you tomorrow hopefully.

Have a very scrappy and happy week everyone :-)!

Love and hugs
Melinda xx

I'm In Love!!

hmmmm, yes with Bon's November boy kit.!! Take a look, doesn't it look devine. I can't wait to get my hands into this one. Oops! just noticed that the Metallic Shades paint is missing!

Anyway, I have had a very busy week doing all the usual stuff but I am also trying to workout everyday which limits my time to getting other things done!! Oh well I feel better for it tho!

Have managed to do two LO's this week. One I will share now, the other I have yet to take a photo of it....so you will just have to wait...hehe.. I decided to plunge in and do my very first Stuck Sketches/123 Challenge for Novermber. The criteria was to use a stuck sketch along with a baby/pregnancy photo and a diecut. I know the sketch had two photos in it but I only had one to work with, so hoping that is acceptable. If not I loved how it turned out.

Here it is...walaaa...!!

Anyways, I have just realised I am going to be super super busy over the next week. Round 3 of the "win a kit"competition has just been announced and its a dooser!!! There are two parts to this round. Part 1 is to create a LO using our own kit and must include 3 PP, no more no less, and we have to choose 7 elements from a list provided ie lace, bling, staples etc etc. and we need to use a B&W photo. I wonder if I can use all elements from the list...hmmm that would be a challenge!....PLUS part 2 is to complete at least 1 of the CC challenges all if possible. So all of this is due in on the 22 November!!!!!!!!!!!

So between CC challenges, "win a kit"challenge and using my November boy kit, I will be head down tail up at my scrap desk!!!!!!!!!! At least I have finished my monthly challenges (which I just realised I haven't shared yet, will do next time). I must go and get some photos and papers organised and get planning! Lots to do!!

On the home front....everyone is well. The boys are just being typical boys are are loving the warmer weather, great for playing outside.

Hope you all have had a good week, stay tuned to see what I can create for Round 3!!!!

Love you all
Hugs
Melinda xx

Where did that week go!?!

Well its Friday and I have been slack at blogging again this week!! I will try and get better at it..haha..! I will send off this quick post while I am waiting for some paint to dry on a LO I am doing.

Hope your week treated you well. We had Brad home on Monday and Tuesday as he worked 7 days straight so his boss was kind enough to let him have a couple of days off with his family. Loved having him home although I never seem to achieve much when he is there...lol :-) oh well....

Its been really hot here this week, so last nights storm and the rain today is very much welcomed. I don't have any new LO's to share this week as I am yet to take photos of them. Weather a bit dodge today....so well share next week.

The boys have been a little sooky this week...whats news!! Finlay is still cutting teeth...never seems to end and I am sure Riley is still cutting the last of his 2yr molars!!!!! He won't let me look in his mouth but usually when he is off his food and when he only wants milk or milo (thats his comfort) he's upset with something.

What's your plans for the weekend? Not much happening here. I have Finlay booked in at Pixi Photos for his 12 month bounty voucher portrait on Saturday and on Sunday night we are going over to some friends place for tea...looking forward to that...someone else's cooking always tastes better hey!

I thought I would share an older LO that I did for the September CC over at Bons. We had to scraplift a LO and I loved the way this one turned out.


Here are a couple of cute photos I took this week of my boys.

Riley enjoying his watermelon during the hot days we have been having.

Last weekend my one of my beautiful sisters came to stay while Brad was away and Finlay had "plopped" himself in the bean bag and Leonie was just talking to him, but Finlay just found whatever she was saying "hilarious" and was having a good ól giggle!!! So cute to hear!!

Well I think my paint has dried and I want to get this LO finished before I have to go and pick they boys up from daycare.

Thank you sooo much girls for all your love and comments that you leave. You make my day :-)

Have a great weekend!

Love
Melinda xx

Its November already!!

WOW!! The beginning of another month! Even tho it means the year is flying by, it also means new monthly challenges and new kits at Bons which I LOVE!

Hope everyone had a lovely weekend! Mine was great, even tho Brad was still away, my younger sister came on Saturday afternoon to stay the night which was lovely and the boys really enjoyed her company as well. Always good to catch up with my beautiful sisters! Brad did end up coming home on Sunday night so we were all excited to see him. So now he has today and tomorrow off work which is fantastic....although he wasn't real impressed with the jobs I had lined up for him....

Well I have been churning out some LO's recently doing another 3 last week which meant I completed all the Oct challenges at Bon's. I had fun doing these so I thought I would share a few.

This one is the Room of the Month challenge (ROTM). I love them as it makes you think more latterly about the room and not only about the colours.

Using up a bit more of Bon's fantastic October Boy Kit. Great value for money.

A sketch challenge.

Look what I have coming in the next few days hopefully. This is a sneak of the November Boy kit. Doesn't it look delish?!!! Can't wait for my pizza box!!

Anyway, I better go and clean up the kitchen and get the boys organised and ready for bed.

Hope everyone has a very enjoyable and scrappy week.

Take care
Melinda xx

Nearly the Weekend!!

Yaahy!!! Its Friday and nearly the weekend. I woke super excited this morning as Brad has been away with work this week I was looking forward to him coming home tonight. Only to get a phone call at breakfast saying that he will be staying up there for the weekend. The wet weather held up some of their work....grrrr....well we do need the rain but it would have been nice to have him home. We are all missing him heaps.

Well not much has been happening here, can't believe its nearly the end of October. Where did the month go. It was super busy in our household during October where we saw our darling little baby turn one! Yep, those 12 months went super duper quick! Here is a picci of Finlay's birthday cake that Brad and I made. The weather had been quite cool up until that Friday night when we were trying to ice it and boy was it was hard to keep the icing on the cake!!! Anyway, happy with how it turned out.

Riley had to help with blowing out the candle!

Then I turned 30!!! Left my twenties behind! Brad had a RDO on my birthday which was on a Friday, so we spent the day together. The boys were at their usual daycare the for day. Was lovely to spend some time together. Brad spoilt me rotten which was just beautiful as well. We then headed up to the sunny coast for the weekend to spend with my sister and her husband and look what she greeted me with on Friday night.

A very yummy sponge cake. I haven't had a birthday cake in years. Thanks heaps and love ya lots sis!!

We then had a few days at the beach just relaxing...was just magical!!

Well I best get some scrapping done before I go and pick up the boys.

Have a lovely weekend everyone.

Melinda xx

PS Thank you to everyone who has left lovely comments. It has given me a huge buzz. Love you all xx

More Greatness at Bons!

Well I thought I should probably tell you a bit more about myself as a scrapbooker. I have been scrapbooking for over 3 years now but probably only seriously in the last 12 months. Having two boys close together in age prevented me from getting a whole lot done before that, but now, there is no stopping me! Since September I joined the lovely Bon's Scraps forum and haven't looked back. The monthly challenges and cybercrops are just awesome. Its great for me to think outside the square and try different techniques and styles that normally I would be hesitant in trying. Its great, I'm hooked!

Speaking of Bon's you should head over there and register for an awesome prize that is running at the moment.

Registrations will be open till the end of the first round. Forum participation is not a must, but you will get points for it. The more points you have at the end of the comp, the more entries you will have in the random draw prize of a 3 MONTH KIT SUBSCRIPTION of your choice, including postage costs, valued at about $120.
* remember if you cant do some things it only takes one ticket to win... but the more you have the more chance you have of winning. So for this round, all you have to do is- make sure you have registered in the registration post. Copy and paste this section into your reply in this thread.
* make sure you advertise this comp on your blog-
* put your post tally here-
* complete 2 of the october cybercrop challenges, {extra points if you complete all 3} each worth $15 each if you win as well!

So have a go! I am! Would be amazing to win this prize. Bon's kits are magnificant!

Here is a couple of LO's I have done for the October Cybercrop. I was away on the night it started and thought I would never be able to catch up but in the end I ended up completing all three! It must have been the time away from the scrap desk that helped the mojo return!

This was for a sketch challenge. The extra criteria on this one was: stiching, v in the paper and ribbon. Happy how this one has turned out.

The one below is for a colour challenge. The colours are Red and Green with white and black. The extra criteria were, dots, 5 or more photos and a jingle/song for a title. Had fun doing this one as I have never used these colours before.

More to come but wanted to leave you with a very cute photo I took of Finlay today. He is starting to become a real little boy now, loves to get up on to the aeroplane and try and take off...even if it is backwards....lol!

Have a good day!

Melinda xx