Yes, you are in the right spot for the blog hop

It's the post below. while I am waiting for most of you to get out of bed I thought I would share Halloween Australian style. Being close to summer here there was not a whole pumpkin to be found anywhere so we thought we would do the next best thing and carve a watermelon,lol. My youngest son is still right into celebrating all of the holidays, even those we don't normally celebrate here like Halloween, and really wanted to do something. I think maybe he looks over his Mum's shoulder to much at all the lovely decorations on the American blogs i follow. any way he had great fun and we got to have yummy watermelon for dessert tonight :-) He named him Mr Watermelon head, original hey?

It's birthday time

Or anniversary time, whichever you like to call it it's been a year of awesome Twilight related creative bliss over here at Twilight Tuesday. I was introduced to Twilight books by my uber talented and most awesome friend Donna. Donna, knowing my taste in most things rang me one day explaining her lack of socialising for a week or so on a series of books, "you should read them" she said, I did, and the rest my friends is history. so when she said I would love the Twilight Tuesday site I jumped on and checked it out because Donna is always right,lol. I have only played along with a few challenges so far but those that I have have been really enjoyable. so here I am at the blogaverssary once again sharing my humble offerings for your viewing.For the blog hop we were to make something from any one of the 50 previous challenges or something Twilight related. For my first project I did challenge 6, rain. Normally when I use this stamp I tend to lean towards brighter colours with it but but bright colours and rain in forks just didn't seem to fit so I pulled out my ever favourite cosmo cricket papers and even though they have bright colours in them they are a vintagey bright not a vibrant bright if that makes any sense at all(if not I will blame it on lack of sleep). I think if I was told I could only use a limited range of pattern paper for the rest of my life I would choose Cosmo Cricket and October Afternoon, I just looove their ranges.

The next challenge I chose was number 37, a little romance. No matter what it is that lights your torch about the Twilight series it is first and foremost a romance so hence my choice of theme.

In an effort to get more photos of Bren and myself together (I made a mini album about us last year and gathering the photos together I realise we didn't have that many of the two of us despite being together for well over 20 years)I handed the camera over to my number 3 son. DH seeing the camera grabbed me for a big smooch session, he has never been camera shy unlike me who hates being on the other side of the lens.

A closer view of the hearts on the page

It is a little hard to pick up the embossed polka dots on the white paper. When I first discovered stamps it wasn't to colour at all, that came a bit later, my first use of them was for making my own background paper which I did lots of once so it was great fun to do this again by pulling out this gorgeous polka dot set from PTI.

And finally I'm not sure what challenge this would fit into, maybe the great Northwest, but I'm sure somewhere in Forks there would be and owl in a tree somewhere, maybe looking down as Edward walked away from Bella in the forest, who knows. I actually did this because I had purchased the digi stamp a couple of weeks back and not had the opportunity to use it yet so while I was on a crafty roll and my desk was messy anyway I thought I would pull it out and play, that and the fact that the owl is soo cute and I seem to have a thing for owls. The yellow behind the owl is vellum, it doesn't show really well here but looks quite pretty with the light shining through it.

I'd like to thank all the sponsors for the blog hop (did I mention there was blog candy, mmm, love candy and this is the sort that won't go straight to the hips :-)

Stamp Happens Shop http://stamphappens.com/shop

Stamp Insanity Stamps http://stampinsanity.com/

The Greeting Farm http://thegreetingfarm.com/shop

Unity Stamp Co. http://http//www.unitystampco.com/

Die Cuts R Us http://www.diecutsrus.com/

Sassy Studio Designs http://buysassystudiodesigns.blogspot.com/

Stars Fall Designs http://starsfalldesigns.etsy.com/

OK, that's is it for me, now it's time to move along to Laura's
blog to see what tasty creative Twilighty treat she has in store for you.

And in case you have missed someone here is the list of other participants.
1. Twilight Tuesday (http://www.twilighttuesday.com/)

2. Tonya (http://stamphappens.com/)

3. Margie (http://ohbumbleismemargie.blogspot.com/)

4. Dani (http://countyourbeautifulblessings.blogspot.com/)

5. Alison (http://alisonsrandomthoughts.blogspot.com/)

6. Donna (http://donna-wardle.blogspot.com/)

7. Jen Shults (http://deconstructingjen.com/)

8. Heather Lee-Reppen http://inkonmyear.blogspot.com/

9. Tamara Bennett (http://scrapcationgetaway.blogspot.com/)

10. Jacquie (http://jacquiemakescards.blogspot.com/)

11. Erica (http://inkedupandreadytoplay.blogspot.com/)

12. Jennifer O. (http://wannabecr8tive.blogspot.com/)

13. Juanita http://stampintwilghtmom.blogspot.com/

14. Steph http://www.apaperbuffet.blogspot.com/

15. Lisa J. http://www.stampincraftinsnowohmy.blogspot.com/

16. Julie http://www.starsfalldesigns.com/

17. Beth http://www.stampinsanity.com/blog

18. Holly http://www.inkadinkadoodle.com/

19. LaToya http://lmac-emac.blogspot.com/

20. Randi http://www.thedarkmermaid.blogspot.com/

21. Rebecca http://bellacarta.typepad.com/

22. Gabby http://confessionsofastamper.blogspot.com/

23. Sarabeth http://www.scraphappie.blogspot.com/

24. Susy http://susysspace.blogspot.com/

25. Laura http://craftylittlewoman.blogspot.com/

26. Liz http://www.splitcoaststampers.com/gallery/showgallery.php?cat=500&ppuser=2461

27. Lady-Sonya http://www.kreativplanet.blogage.de/

28. Twilight Tuesday http://twilighttuesday.com/

enjoy

Another thing I found

while browsing blogs today were these...the nicest camera bags for women (or I guess there would be some men who would like them too,lol) they are available here soon. So much prettier and cuter than my ordinary camera bag.

Stacy Julian giveaway.

While flicking through a scrapbook mag last night I happened to read about the new brad maker from inaginisce and thought how cool it would be,this morning while checking google reader I read about this giveaway on Stacy Julian's blog. I'm entering, what about you???

I did it again

I've added to my layout again, the day ofter posting this I decided it needed something added (see a bit of a theme happening here, like my last three layouts,lol)Not that I add much but I think seeing it on a big monitor right in front of my face makes me pick all the little bits and pieces (or lack of them) so my old friend string was added, a little heart charm and a date block.

Next time I think I will wait for a few days before posting just to make sure I really am done :-) Life has been pretty busy around here lately and it seems like there isn't many days go past without extras added to our little house so when we do get a little time for just us a lot of this happens...relaxing and enjoying the quiet time.

Even the pets enjoy it.

And even more stuff...

So what season did you say it was?

Just on six weeks until the official beginning of summer and we are still getting days like this, not that I'm complaining mind you. He's a good, good man...Chopping wood to keep his family warm.

We thought it would be the last of fires for the year but with a cool wet snap here I'm just glad that I never went to the trouble to give the fire it's last thorough clean for the year.

Scraperlicious challenge number four-change.

As soon as I read on the blog that this months challenge was about change I knew I wanted to use this photo. When I looked at it the first time after printing I was amazed at how much things have changed in the last 17 years between Jackson's birth and the day this photo was taken(My nieces wedding)He from a tiny baby that Mum used to cuddle on her lap to a teenage boy that stands a good head taller than her. and her... well she has had many changes in that time, both happy and sad, good and bad and then there is ever effecting time. I am surprised that I was able to fit the journaling in,and me not usually a big journaler, could have written double what I have here, not easy to condense so much about their lives into a few short paragraphs.

A closer view, you can see here the tone on tone border strip which doesn't show clearly in the top photo.

PP-cosmo cricket, Stamps-Technique Tuesday, Border punch-(you knew I would have to squeeze one of those in somewhere,lol) fiskars Diecut frame-Quickutz Cardstock-(Kraft) Aussiescrapsource (brown) brand unknown but purchased from Camelot studio in Adelaide.

Bella butterfly

Last year some time I won a name this stamp competition run by Bizzy Bec, now while I have used this stamp a few times I have never posted a card with it on, tut tut. With Bec having just drawn the winner of the next lot of name your stamp comp I had thought I had better get off my slack butt and do something, so here she is Bella butterfly. The photo is at a funny angle because I raced outside in the rain, it was a matter of sit the card on the gardening table, shoot one shot and bolt back inside, it was that wet. Previously I have used softer girlier colours with her but today I discovered these SU papers while searching through my paper stash for inspiration and decided to go with them. I realised after posting this that I had forgotten to put a flower in her hair, I have a tiny brown one that would have gone perfectly, I'll have to add that later. Just paying with this terribly over exposed shot of a pot of ranuculas that is sitting at our front door, crap photo, but the flowers are so pretty.

Some stuff...

A little bit of a redo for this layout, only added a few buttons and stamped the play all day circle but I feel a bit better about it now, it's still simple but at least it feels a bit more finished than before.

Ooops, forgot about the reverse loading for blogger photos. These are some of the butterflies I stamped and embossed with white embossing powder on the layout below.

A closer view of some of the stamping and elements, the heart is acrylic backed with p paper and stamped with the family stamp from the hero arts original definitions set with white stazon. The quote is from an Ali Edwards set embossed with butter zing(love this colour, so soft and well, buttery)

Something a little different from my usual layouts. Used lots of stamping and embossing. It was also good to use older products, the PP is one that has been out for quite some time from MM(except for the background, it's MM too but not so old) and the butterfly and definition stamps from hero arts have been in my drawer for years. the other stamps are Ali Edwards by technique Tuesday and Heidi Swapp. I even used vellum, something I haven't done in ages. It's one of those layouts that looks better IRL, or maybe it's just my photography.

Yesterday we took Seamus for a walk down to the swamp to catch tadpoles (yes, we are a catch and release family, at least they will be released soon, it's good for the kids to see the changes the little tadpole's bodies go through to become a frog, takes longer than a kiss from a Princess,lol)
After catching them with him for a while I layed down under his beautiful wattle tree and enjoyed the feeling of the spring sunshine.

Back again

From our little break. Had a wonderful time, caught up with lots of family and friends, got to rub some beautiful pregnant tummies (two of my nieces and my nephew's fiance are all expecting, one of them less than three weeks away)baby sat my almost two year old nephew, (gotta love a spread out family, my nieces and nephews on mine and Bren's side of the family range from under two through to thirtysix), sat by the river, walked on the beach, drank lots of cuppas, took lots(and lots) of photos and generally had a lovely busy time.

the river mouth, that's Seamus walking towards me, the others boys are in the background.

(not so) baby Xave

In honour of world card making day/weekend...

I did a layout,lol, well at least it involved using paper and glue... a quick, simple page, came together so quickly. Knowing me I will probably go back and add a little, I'm thinking maybe some buttons but for the moment this is it 'cause I have to go pack. I taking the three younger boys plus 1 to the coast for a few days. Bren and Jacko get to bach here while I enjoy strolls on the beach and some fishing(not that the fishing would excite either of them, they are not big fans, me I just love the excuse to kick back with a rod and a good book by the water).
Woo roo till later in the week...
Oh and I decided while I've been typing this that I need to put a tab on the top of the photo block with a date or something on it, mmmm, may be a bit more work for this one. Cheers,
Sue.

How would you spend $250

Check out this comp here. Cottage cutz are giving away a $250.00 voucher from their store, wow could I do some damage with that. I loooove my dies...

Wonders never cease

I made something today, just a little card but it felt good to get into the creative groove again. With three teenage boys in the house it means there is a lot of interest in teenage girls,lol. The boys all have a good group of friends both male and female and we are finding they are being invited to celebrate quite a few birthdays with the girls. Having boys I don't have a lot of teen girl based stamps, heck I don't have many teen boy based stamps either, so when I saw a link to these digi images on Margie's blog I knew they would be perfect for girlie cards. The digi stamps are quite decently priced so ideal for a stamp that I don't plan to use lots and lots, I just can't justify paying for rubber that I only plan to use once or twice (now that's not to say there are not stamps in my stash that have only been used lightly or not at all, just that when I bought them I really intended to use them more that I do ;-) I think maybe I'm not the only one out there???) Any way these are rather cool and it seems a few companies are going this way, pink cat studio and hero arts are two that come to mind as well as the linked company above. It makes it easier for those of us who live on the other side of the world who love our stamps but don't like having to pay huge shipping costs and don't like the wait for them to arrive. Pay and wallah, you have your image ready to re size and print however you want, on whatever you want ,whenever you want, however many times you want, gotta love that. Papers-cosmo cricket border punch-Martha Stewart alpha stamps-hero arts speech bubble die-quickutz
And because I seem to be doing lots of photo post lately, my baby.

just bee hapy