I scrapped!

I snuck in a little scrapbooking on Saturday morning and came up with this single and a double about Phoebe's dance concert that she participated in recently. As a little girl Phoeb's always loved to dance and when we moved to Hyden from the farm we thought this would be the perfect opportunity for her to pursue her love of dancing. She isn't obsessive about it but loves her teacher's (Betty) laid back approach and fits right in with all the other little girls who are just their for the love of the idea and a bit of fun. Phoebe's dance debut started on Melbourne cup day in front of 100 or so people which was followed but a second performance for the old time dancing group, then lastly the community concert for Early Tapping Studio. We laughed so hard i must admit at the little girls trying to remember their routines (I know it sounds mean but you had to be there!) and it was a very enjoyable night - the girls shone like little stars. Here in these layouts I have used a Fancy Pants range called Little Dancer which I think suits the theme, especially for little girls who are just starting out.

Other than that I've been busy with giftware for Christmas shoppers but have started on a kit of the month project which will start in February using Collections products and a 18" x 18" canvas. Keep your eye out for more info on this in the new year as we will be mailing out kits as well as doing classes in store.

Talk to you before Christmas day...Bye.

It's beginning to look a bit like Christmas...

So long since I last blogged but here's an update. I'm a bit more organised with Christmas this year and as you saw in my last post I have done a few layouts already, speaking of which - if you would like a kit for any of the layouts we can send them out for $20 each. I also made a Christmas shadow box using the new Tim Holtz Configurations boxes with a load of Christmassy trinkets by K & Co and more. Here's the blurb by Tim, followed by the raw shadow box and my finished piece. I now have these in stock and they are reasonably priced and tonnes of fun to fill!

We have put up the tree at home for the kids to enjoy and I must admit it is lovely to have a tree up as we didn't have one at home last year, but first we put our nativity scene together which is what Christmas is all about for us....

I've made tonnes of Christmas cards this year and helped Phoebe make 24 for her class and teachers - I thoroughly enjoyed doing this with her. I used Christmas double sided papers and coordinating embellishments...

On a very sad note, my girlfriend, Bernadette, lost her Dad last night in a tragic car accident. Life is so short and not to be taken for granted, especially at this time of year. Make sure you 'say what you need to say' because you never know. My thoughts are with Bernadette and her family at this incredibly difficult time. Christmas is going to be a little difficult for me and my family too this year as we have our first without Dean, as well as his wife Cassi and their boys, Asher and Maddox, who are in California. I am hoping that being with my Dad, Mum and brother, Paul and my hubby and our kids, will soften the blow. I sincerely hope you all have a lovely and safe Christmas with your family and friends. I know I am not the only one who cant wait to see 2011 and a better year ahead! I heard of a Tennis Club near by who are having a P#*S OFF 2010 party - must admit I cant blame them! On a positive note I am grateful for everyone in my life and everything I have and have experienced.

Some Christmas Inspiration...

I got busy the other day and scrapped some photos from last Christmas that I had printed ages ago and hadn't found time to do anything with. I've used both new and old products...too many to mention. Check out these 2 of Phoebs and Jett in front of the Christmas tree...

And then a photo taken recently of the 4 of us - a rare moment when we are all in front of the camera - thank goodness for the timer on the camera!

Just arrived today...this cute new range from Echo Park (which is proving to be a goodie) Little Boy...

I'm off to Newdegate tomorrow to see my super-enthusiastic scrappers for the last time this year...going out with a bang and some Christmas cheer hopefully.

Hope to see you in my shop or hear from you all before the year ends..where did the year go by the way???...I'm thinkin' bring on 2011! Love to you all.

New stuff....

Just because we did not already have enough stuff in the shop (NOT!), we have more coming. I'm excited about Basic Grey 'Curio' arriving this week - here's a preview...

And Cosmo Cricket 'Circa' also arrives this week - another heritage range which I think will be versatile....

And Becky Flecks new Page Maps will be turning up any day as well!

How will we ever be able to afford Christmas presents with all these yummy new goodies rocking up?! You could buy them for yourself for Christmas (just in case he doesn't)!

I have been scrapping like a mad woman - not for myself though - I am working on a commission album for a 21 year old guy. It's a challenge for sure, but Amy and I completed 17 layouts in 3 days - yeah I know we could have done better than that but it was all done between serving customers, and I taught at Newdegate for a day. Speaking of which, here is one of the layouts I did for the girls, using new Basic Grey 'Jovial' - love that range too...

That's all for today. Thanks for looking and thanks for the nice comments about Dean. I agree that we look alike but my eyebrows aren't as bushy as his in recent years! Check this out..it was taken in the 80's before waxing and plucking...

My spunky brother, Dean...

I have had a few comments about what a spunk my brother, Dean was lately. In the past I have shown photos mostly from when he got sick but in the layouts I am doing for his album I have been scrapping old photos of him - and I agree - he is a spunk! Check out this photo of him at Gayle Smith's wedding...

And I meant to show this photo power point of Dean at the retreat and forgot too - I'm disappointed I missed the opportunity but hopefully this link works and you can see what he was like...i laugh and cry when I watch this..you'll see why... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q0E3LHQW0Ug&feature=player_embedded and there's a couple of other videos of dean here..http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9HydWAOOaVw and here...http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=36ccLJOUggM. Thanks for looking.

A new look...

Unpacking the shop after the retreat was a massive job but rewarding as we cleaned and sorted everything again. We have made some changes around the floor and the major change is putting paper racks against the wall and hanging products coordinating with the papers above. It look so much better and has got the thumbs up from those who have seen it so far. Here's a (not so good) pic of the wall...

We have a little more new stock in store, namely Lost and Found by My Minds Eye. This range is to die for and has something for everyone as there are both boy colours as well as girl colours. Here is the full range, of which we have quite a bit of.

Speaking of new ranges, I am in love with Sweetness by Pink Paislee which we got before the retreat and I am having my first play with it...will show the LO when it's done. Thanks for looking!

All over for another 6 months...

The retreat, that is. We had a ball! Our 11th Wave Rock Scrapbooking Retreat was a huge success, safe to say 'the best yet' I think. I was the most organised I have ever been (despite having a little break with the family) and with my team - Amy, Ann Smart, Ann Smith, Sharon Morton, Mum and DH (dear husband) we pulled off the best one ever with all the trims. I am pleased to say that the food was great, the classes were awesome and the company was exceptional! We had 7 classes in total that all ran smoothly (well almost) and were enjoyed by all. I taught for the first time at one of my own retreats and my classes were well received, in fact we sold a record number of kits for the 'One of a kind' class, and here are the layouts - very 3D and better IRL...

Then I taught a class using an 'old' school photo from the 70's (love that era - not!) of my baby brother Dean in Pre-primary - he's so cute...

and another sample, my year 12 photo, very simple but some technique in there that the girls soaked up...

We registered the Saturday of the retreat for 'A Girls Night In' breast cancer awareness fundraiser and my target was to raise $500 (small I know, but times are tough) and surprisingly we raised $1346 - a record for us and far exceeded our expectations! So well done girls on money well spent. I asked everyone to wear something pink for the day and everyone did, even one lady - not mentioning any names - who when I asked her where her pink was, showed my her undies! We didnt make a competition out of it but Kylie took the cake for dressing up, with pink rubber gloves, pink swimming goggles, pink t-shirt and a pink tea towel around her waste! Donna rocked up in pink jammies later on in the day, sporting a pink shower cap also and pink toothbrushes in her hair! One other lady worth a mention was Trish, who was wearing pink shirt, capri's and pink unmentionables! I challenged a few ladies to be daring as I had worn a pink shirt with pink bra's on the outside (made my husband laugh and my Dad blush!) so a couple of wags - Belinda, Anna and Sara - also wore their underwear on the outside. Well done girls for raising heaps and making it fun...love ya.

There is so much more I could say about the retreat but it must be very frustrating if you werent there!

On a personal note; I mentioned at the retreat that Friday the 22nd of October was my brother, Dean's birthday, who passed away in June. I spoke of this at the retreat as girls who have been coming to my retreats for years have shared the journey with me and have known of Deans illness and then his passing. Once again I would like to thank everyone for your support, love, prayers and thoughts through this very difficult time. It is far harder dealing with the loss than I ever imagined and it helps to know people care. I was such a bittersweet occasion on Friday but Mum and I were in the company of many friends - our scrapbooking family - then Dad joined us on Saturday - poor bloke had to wear undies on his head! - and my older brother Paul dropped in Thursday night to check out the set up, so we all got to see each other for this 'first birthday without Dean' occasion. Mum and I agreed that being amongst friends was a like medicine and the retreat was a welcome distraction, but didn't go without a tear or two.

Check out the tutors blogs for their class layouts and some awesome photos of the retreat. The next retreat is on the 25th of March 2011 so mark your diaries. Bye for now.

Having a break...

I decided after the last school holidays which we worked through that we would not do that this holidays as the kids miss out the most. So a little break as a family was due and we are two days in so far...and having a much needed rest. We found a few things of interest; firstly a van with this phrase on the back that made us chuckle...

then further down the road we found this little guy...super cute...

then we reached our destination and we are sampling the attractions.

We'll be back on deck by the weekend and ready to face another term. Hasnt this year gone fast? I cant believe the silly season is on the horizon and before we know it, it will be January! But theres quite a bit to get through before then..like a retreat...cant wait!

Madly making kits...

Class requirements for the upcoming retreat are now out so if you have booked in and don't have them or would like to book in for the retreat then let me know. We have had bucket loads of product arrive this week to make kits up and its a huge job but fun...we have been enjoying playing with all the components and its especially good that we are on time for a change in preparation. Here's a peak at the goodies we are playing with - eye candy!

Enjoy the school holidays and sorting your photos!

One last sneak peak...

I have a second sample for my 'School Photos from Yesteryear' class at the retreat. I have used the same range of paper as the first sample so if your buying the full paper pack you can get more bang for your buck! This layout is a more mature looking one as it is of my Year 12 school class photo. All I have done is adjust the embellishments and made the layout a bit less busy, for a different look although the sketch is the same...anyway here's a look...

This is the range I am using which I love...




I am so excited about the new product ranges arriving at the moment. It seems that all the releases from Summer CHA are just to-die-for and I cant get enough of them. I have a huge range of Prima crystals coming and all sorts of other goodies. Cant wait to share them.

This range 'Curio' by Basic Grey will arrive before the retreat hopefully...

I am about to send out class requirements so stay tuned to your email to see the classes for the retreat...you wont be disappointed but remember the layouts always look better IRL (in real life). Bye for now.

More sneak peaks...

I have 2 more sneak peaks to share. The first is my masculine sample of my 'One of a Kind' class which is very manly - something even a bloke would be proud of...

Then lastly my 'School Photos from Yesteryear' sneak peak. I'm using papers that suit photos from the 70's and had just the right photo to match.

Also, I cant wait to show all the new stock that's been arriving for the retreat - my favourite range by far is this one from Prima...

and I also have this range by Prima too...

And there is loads more to come...YAY!

I have almost completed the class requirements and class kit order form so will have that out sometime this week which will give everyone 4 weeks to prepare. If you haven't got yourself booked in yet be sure to do so as places are filling fast! Bye for now.

More Sneak Peaks...

I have a couple more sneak peaks to reveal. Gayle's done 2 samples of her double page class, a Zoo layout...

And also her double page Travel layout...

I'm all for cramming as many photos on to a layout for particular themes or events and Gayle's got that covered in her class.

Then there are 2 samples so far for my first class 'One of a kind' - it's very blingy, feminine, flowery and all that girly stuff....

However, I am working on a masculine version of this very detailed layout (when I find the photo I am looking for!!!) which will satisfy those of you who have boys in the family...so watch this space for a sneak peak (warning: it may take a while to locate the photo!).

My second class as I mentioned in my last post will be a school layout but I am using a

photo from the 70's of Dean when he was in preschool so it works well with the earthy colours of the paper range I am using. As usual though, the layout can be adapted to other themes or paper ranges. I'll show a preview soon. I am thinking about a third class...depends how much brain space I can make! Bye for now.

Retreat update...

It's well and truly time for an update about the coming retreat on the 22nd of October which is only 6 weeks away...scary but exciting! I have been busy making plans and coming up with new ideas, collecting new stock, talking to tutors about there classes and planning my own classes. Yes, that's right, I'm teaching at this retreat which is a step I decided to take and hopefully wont live to regret! I am excited though about what I have planned...more on that soon when I take a 'sneak peak' photo.

You may have noticed over on Julie Van Oosten's blog her wrap about the retreat. Thanks Julie! What an honour to have you coming all this way. Here's a sneak peak of Julie's class project which is, of course, 'off the page' and absolutely stunning! I cant wait to do this project myself...

Gayle, due to moving house and towns, soon has completed all her layouts for the retreat already and here are the sneak peaks for her first class 'Pinwheels and Bunting' in both a girl and boy sample...

Lis has also completed her first class which is based on Heritage photos and you can see sneak peaks over on her blog - a huge challenge for Lis but well executed I think!

Some of the new goodies I have in store are the new ranges from Basic Grey - Wander and Pyrus, Lis will be doing a sample using Pyrus, and the new ranges from Crate Paper - Restoration, which Lis will also be using for a sample, and School Spirit which I will be using for a school layout. Here are the Crate Paper range samples...

And I have loads of kits in for Gayles first layout - thought I'd get in early and order a stack of paper packs so we don't miss out!

Be back with more to update on soon.

Some layouts to share...

I finally have some layouts to share...I have been scrapping regularly but haven't got around to photographing the layouts until now.

First, I have been running some classes that are provided by Aussie Scrap Source - one of my suppliers so I make a sample but it's usually different to the class sample - that's the great thing about scrapbooking or even scrap-lifting, you get to interpret it your own way. Here is a layout of my kids - or my two VIP's (Very Important Princess and Prince)...I used Pink Paisley Enchanting papers...

And this layout is of my brother Dean at 4 months using Basic Grey 'Wisteria' - an oldie but a goodie...



I love this photo of Dean playing his guitar and when I found this sketch and discovered that the Basic Grey Marrakech papers suited it was a match made in heaven - I love this layout...the colours just work...all I have to do now is journal - this is the hardest part!

I have a huge new range of papers in by Echo Park which I am saving for the retreat but couldn't resist having a play with it and a sketch I found on Becky Fleck's blog and here is the result...

Lastly, for today, I did this layout using Basic Grey Kioshi papers and a sketch by Basic Grey using a paper doilie folded up..i think it worked.

Well, I have some sad news to finish on. Jen Burns, our very talented friend who was to be our new tutor for the October retreat has had to withdraw from teaching this time which both she and I regret and this decision was difficult for Jen. So Jen, we will miss you but we hope in future you can come and inspire us and we wish you all the best in the mean time. For those of you who are coming to the retreat and were really looking forward to meeting Jen and participating in her classes, i apologise and I am sure you will understand even though you may be disappointed. I am working on a replacement tutor but have also designed a stunning class (even if I do say so myself! I put a lot of work into this one!) if I cant find a replacement...so don't panic!

I hope to have some sneak peaks up soon of whats already been prepared! That's all for today folks. Tarah!