New stuff...

There has been new stock arriving each week for the retreat and there is more to come.

Basic Grey has 2 new ranges, Kioshi and Green At Heart. Both are gorgeous but I especially like Kioshi.

We also have new Prima products - they just keep getting better all the time. Their blossoms are becoming more life like all the time. I have ideas swimming my head for some of the new stuff. It's a case of - not enough hours in the day.

I did get to start a couple of layouts on the weekend. I started the kids school layouts for 2010 with photos of their first day but havent finished them yet...will show when they are done. If only I could scrap as fast as Lis - she is a machine!

I have more to show soon!

What's goin' on...

You're probably wondering what the heck is going on around here....well there's too much to explain in one post but I thought I would share a few things.

Firstly, our March retreat is full steam ahead - hence one reason I am not posting often (very busy getting it organised) - and applications are rolling in. You can see the tutors sneak peaks on their blogs, Lis and Sharon that is, Gayle wont be with us this time...boo hoo...but we do have a new tutor...YAY! I would like to introduce you to Lynne Herbert, our local primary school Principal who happens to be multi talented. Lynne will be sharing her card making passion with us at the retreat. You can see her work on her blog which is http://leighsobsession.blogspot.com/ This woman is one clever gal and I am very excited to have her on board...warning Lynne...this wont be your last time!

If you ha vent received a retreat application then email me at scrappinoutback@bigpond.com If you have applied and havent received class requirements then also email me and I will get them to you. I am frantically getting class kit pre-order forms ready to send out as well.

I recently taught classes at Newdegate and as usual had a ball with those genuine 'salt-of-the-earth' gals who are so enthusiastic and fun. They power scrapped their way through at least 6 layouts each! Here are some of the layouts we did. Firstly my Valentines layout for this year - Matt and I about 10 years ago...

and my school portrait layout for 2009 (this years school photos are next week so I had to get on with last years!) using October Afternoon 'Report Card'...

and lastly a couple of quick and easy layouts using 6 x 4 photos. I get asked all the time for layouts using standard size photos so I've been making an effort to do plenty of these...

Be back with more soon...

SALE time...

I thought I'd mention that we are having a sale in the shop this month. We have 20% off everything in the store including scrapbooking, giftware and furniture (excluding KitchenAid appliances). The sale ends at the end of February, however there are a lot of items that will remain at 20% off. We are only to happy to mail order so contact us on (08) 98805300.

Announcing

Scrappin' Outback

presents the 10th

Wave Rock Scrapbooking Retreat

@ Hyden in Western Australia

26th - 28th March 2010

with inspiring tutors

Lis Cassey, Sharon Manning & Lynne Herbert

Contact Karen Smith at scrappinoutback@bigpond.com

or call 0427 977 672, 98805300 or 98805761

for more details or to make your booking.

Brochures available shortly.

Making memories

Hi there! I'm still in the land of the living. We are on holidays, finally, on a road trip to South Australia. I figured it would be ok to blog about our trip because scrapbooking is all about the memories we make to scrap after all. I have realised I was getting caught up in the process of scrapbooking rather than the reason for doing it! So here are a few photos of what we have been up to.

Firstly, we had to finish harvest which was all over by the 5th of January. This was our last day...

Then on the 8th we left for our trip and camped at the Johnson lakes (west of Norseman) for the first night.

We stayed at the Madura pass on the next night but woke during the night to keep driving as it was too hot to sleep. We watched the sun rise from the Eucla cliffs (the Great Australian Bight) and had breakfast on the cliffs. This memory is priceless and we are hoping to make this a family tradition as we go the SA every couple of years to see Matt's Nana and extended family.

Since then we have been driving still and here are photos of us in our temporary home (the car). We look quite relaxed dont we?

We are now in Streaky Bay have a rest, soaking up the sun and enjoying family time away from work. I hope you are all busy making memories too!

Happy Christmas and Merry New Year!!!

Thank you to all who follow my blog and all my wonderful clients and friends. I would like to wish you a very SAFE holiday season...have fun spending time with your families and be sure to relax and get some chill time.

I certainly am feeling quite relaxed even after such a busy lead up to Christmas. We arrived in Esperance at 10pm on Christmas eve to spend Christmas with both mine and Matt's family. By Christmas morning I was finally feeling like it was Christmas and it was a great day.

Opening presents is always fun with kids, I can remember thinking (7 years ago) "gee Christmas is not as exciting as when I was a kid myself" and the anticipation would be killing me, so having the kids say to me a hundred times "can we open the presents yet?" was all too easy to agree to - once everyone was dressed for Christmas photos of course! - and they had so much fun, and so did we watching them.

I still think of those who could not be with us this Christmas. My brother, Dean and his wife Cassi and the boys are all in California for Christmas with Cassi's family. This is a well deserved opportunity for them and I'm sure they are having a ball. Matt's sister, Kimberly and our nephew Miles are having a white Christmas in Montana where they live. I am looking forward to a white Christmas with them one day...it would be strange to not be swealtering in the heat and eating seafood and salad though...

We are still harvesting this week so we are back to work until its done so we can finish up the season in the office and then go on a holiday. At the moment I have been moving things around a bit in the shop for a fresh new look. We have new stock in for the new year and I am looking forward to playing with it when I get the BAS done.

We have new Basic Grey in stock, the classy 'Origins' range...

and the delicious 'Sugar Rush' range...

We also have October Afternoon new releases, 'Report Card'...

and 'Farm Fresh'...

These are all a very big bit yummy!

Thanks Linda and Lissa for your comments on my last post. It is always good to hear from you and know I'm not alone. Cheers everyone and have a happy New Year celebration!

The silly season...

That's what they call it! and now I know why! Everything is a bit silly at the moment...my brain, the kids, the harvest and everything that is going on. I am taking stock at the moment...of life. I have really struggled to get into the spirit of Christmas this year...struggled with the schedule of things to do, places to be, and responsibilities. I get the feeling I'm not the only one. I envy blogger's who are counting down the days with craft projects, taking photos every day, Christmas cooking and all the 'holiday frills' but I am not one of those and I think I am in the majority, not the minority. So how can this be avoided?...i'll tell you next year if I figure it out between now and then.

I lost a friend last week, a guy I've known for nearly 20 years. And the worst thing is that it is now... at Christmas time. And its so much worse for his family...so I've been a bit stunned to say the least.

Anyway, to cut a long story short I realised that my 'lack of Christmas spirit' was not fair on the kids so we got some decorations together and got our nativity ornaments out and did a little decorating on Sunday. I finally got to dress the kids in red and take our annual Christmas photo (which was not that easy as it took quite a bit of coaxing to get the kids to smile at the same time and not pull silly faces!). So hear they are...Phoeb's is till missing her front 2 teeth...there is a hint of a new one!


Despite the dramas I have faced, life has still gone on and stocking the shop for Christmas has been busy but fun. I have loads of new gift ware in...

and new scrapbooking ranges in as well like K & Co Evergreen - the Christmas line which is vintage this year...


...and Greenhouse which is a fun new Eco range that I am dying to do something with... projects are forming in my mind to work on in the new year.

Speaking of the New Year, my mind is buzzing with loads of ideas for next year (its the sleepless nights when I think this stuff up!) so I'll try to keep you informed in January of new ideas and plans for 2010. That's all for today...be back soon.

Some layouts to share...

I have been preparing for classes and have a few completed layouts and more on the go. Here are the ones that are complete. I have a obsession with self adhesive border strips at the moment and I'm having fun using them...

I am trying to get into Christmas preparation mode at the moment. I have an idea for my Christmas cards that I will atempt to make later this week, and I still have loads of photos from last Christmas that I havent scrapped so I'm going to get on to those to. I have plenty of Christmas papers to choose from so I cant wait.

The new furniture...

As promised i have some photos to show of the new furniture we have in the shop...

I also had some wooden ormamental pieces arrive and these signs...i think they are are pretty funny...



I'll be back soon with some layouts to share...about time!!

New products...

Well its been a busy couple of weeks around here. On the 30th of October my assistant, Amy, got married to her sweet heart, Garth. It was a great wedding and she was a stunning bride. Take a look for yourself...


So at the wedding I had a little accident...i slipped on some water on the dance floor whilst kicking my heels up (literally!) and rolled my ankle. I was disappointed that I couldn't dance anymore as I was having so much fun...but probably just as well I didn't try. While Amy has been on her honeymoon I've been hobbling around at the shop but I have managed to do a layout or 2 while I've had my foot up. I thought I had lost my creativity at first but I ended up getting back into it again and have completed 4 layouts and almost finished a few more...only trouble is I keep forgetting to photograph them so I can show and tell! This is the only one I managed to get a photo of. It has a photo of my sisters-in-law and I at my Brother-in-laws wedding in August. I used K &Company 'Que Serra' paper, border strip and die cut. This was a really quick warm up layout...

In this photo there is a new cookbook I have in stock by The Pioneer Woman, my favourite blogger, called 'The Pioneer Woman Cooks'. I read about it on her blog and had to have a copy because i like her recipes so much, and got a few extra copies to sell as well. She is one amazing woman who I admire. You'll love her too. Check out her website... thepioneerwoman.com

I also have new scrapbooking stock in store. The Basic Grey 'Nook and Pantry' range is gorgeous in real life. I have packs, woolies, stitched brads and doilies in stock. Check them out...

I am expanding (again) at the shop and have a new organic range of cleaning products in store from Murchison-Hume. This is revolutionary stuff so if you would like more info on it then drop me a line.

Also, the most exciting news for me is that I am now going into furniture sales as well...yes thats right, I have filled my shop space quite well for someone who wasnt going to try to fill the shop space I had! I just cant help myself. So I have a sea container of Indonesian furniture arriving in tomorrow morning...cant wait. Here's a pic...

So that's what I have been up to lately, exciting stuff. Also my husband and his team are busily getting ready for the 2009 harvest and its going to be interesting one thats for sure. So the next couple of months are going to be crazy but I'm beginning to think thats the norm for us...oh well, life is good anyway. Be back soon!