I received this little email the other day, quite cute. Hope it comes up large enough to read, click on it if it doesn't.

A few bits and pieces

A sympathy card I made for an elderly neighbour whose husband passed away a couple of days ago. The brown background has been stamped tone on tone with butterflies but they didn't photograph well, neither did the embossed white buttterflies inside the card..

Stamps-Lucy's and Hero arts(sentiment) Ribbon and pink and white cardstock-PTI Bling-Hero arts Brown cardstock-unknown unfortunately because it is gorgeous. Markers-copic

A little altered chalkboard that hangs in my nook
A little matchbook album my photos came in that I covered. It holds photos taken with a disposable waterproof camera over summer. The letters were first painted white then a coat of JoSonja's opal dust was applied after this dried, it gives a really cool pearly, glittery effect. The papers and flowers are from Kaiser
This cute little flower was a thank you gift from my friend http://kathryn-timeforachat.blogspot.com/ , the pattern is here . Excuse the sad little plant
Joseph decided he would make me one too, all he needs to do is add the stick and finish stitching, my favourite mothers day gift.

Over the long weekend I managed to finish off a few projects that have been hanging around bugging me for ages. The weather was cold and damp and I had a yucky head cold so it was the ideal chance to just hang at home.

No excuses

Coco's birthday card I made her, the mirror looks white but the card is actually done on a transparency base so it is clear.Jackson, the birthday boy.
Jackson and his sweet girlfriend Lucy, she really is the sweetest kid and an added bonus(for me) loves scrapbooking.
Jacko running down the oval
Joseph at the footy playing with two of his mates puppies

I haven't blogged in some time (again) no excuses really just busy with life I guess, that and the fact that I couldn't find my memory card reader. Last week we celebrated my first born's 17th birthday, I can't believe how much time has flown, how much has changed and how much has stayed the same. I still clearly remember going into labour, driving along the top of Tower Hill ringing Mum and one of my big brother's to tell them I was going into hospital and to pass it on to the rest of the family, realising I had no cash on me so stopping at the ATM in town to get money out and the woman who kept giving me strange looks as I gripped the edge of the teller machine when a contraction hit, the hospital, the midwives, the stream of young doctors who lined up on the back wall to observe a standard text book labour and birth(they did ask and by then I didn't really care, all humility goes out the door during birth) and I remember my sweet baby boy when they placed a healthy 9lbs of him in my arms. It only seems like yesterday and yet sometimes I scarcely remember what life was like before the boys were born, I think most Mothers know what it's like.
Jackson really enjoyed his birthday even though he didn't do anything really big, he played a good game of football in the morning (that is always enough to put him in a good mood) and then had his girlfriend over to have a quiet family party and video night. I'm so glad he decided against a party, it's a difficult age to know how far to let them go, we were so much happier with this arrangement and it was all his own choice.

SAPSASA footy

Joseph kicking for goal, they both look like they are flying, "some mean air", as Joseph said when he saw this photo.The relief after the game.
Listening intently to the coach ( he has a mouth guard in, not fat cheeks)

Well I'm back safe and sound from Adelaide and had a great time, although I found it really hard to leave the boys behind and miss the last of their games. Joseph won't be back until Friday. One of the other boys Mum's was staying with them until then and then bringing them back home. The team did really well and even though they had lost more games than they had won when I left, they were not beaten by much. There are 40 teams from statewide playing in four different divisions, our boys are div one so the competition is really fierce and they held their own well despite the fact that they only managed to get two training sessions in before the carnival whereas the city teams have been working together for months. Some of our boys live up to two hours apart, one of the drawbacks of country football I guess. It's such a great experience for them and a real eye opener for parents. I was absolutely amazed at the size of some of the kids, they are all primary kids but some of them were huge with legs hairier than King Kong, sprouting beards and chest hair. "Roids (steroids) for breakfast" became a common joke amongst our boys when they'd see these big lads walk onto the oval. The most entertaining team to watch by far, except our own of course,lol, was one of the aboriginal team. Half the team played without shoes, just socks and did back flips and cartwheels if they got goals. If ever you get the chance to watch a young all indigenous team play do it, its great to watch and they have some hugely talented kids.

ETA I have just gotten off the phone to Joseph were he told me that they won both of their games today so I think this puts them one up.

See ya'll soon...

No blogging for me for a few days, I'm off to the big smoke. Joseph is playing football in Adelaide next week and I am taking him, Seamus and a couple of the other team members up. I will stay with them until Wednesday when one of the other Mums will take over. The boys are really excited as it's quite a big thing to be selected to play, they usually only have a few players from each school in this district. The boys will play against other teams from districts right around the state. I'm in the midlle of getting packed and we will leave at midday tomorrow. Hoo roo.

For the love of Donna

I love getting parcels at my front door the at the best of times but when they are hand signed parcels of inspirational delight like this I am overjoyed. A few weeks back a friend Kathryn and I shared the postage in a pair of autographed books newly released by DonnaDowney. We are both big fans and I love her fearless aproach to creating. I used my upmost control and did not open them until I reached Kathryn's house but you should have seen us when we did, jumping around like little kids. The kids thought we were quite nutty. Not only were the books autographed but the parcel was hand written by Donna in her cool handwriting. Of course there had to be photos of them with the gorgeous lime green tissue paper and Donna labels. so very cool. Thanks Kathryn for sending through the photos.

My favourite time of year

I love autumn, lovely sunny days and fresh crisp nights and the colours, oh the colours. Our native trees don't tend to turn but here and there are dotted gorgeous maples and elms and other trees that turn to glorious russets and golden yellows. There are also the vineyards. One of the many advantages to living in a wine producing area is watching the seasonal changes in the plants, from rows upon rows of spring green to acres of these glorious rich colours, it's always a beautiful thing to see. Unfortunately I only managed to get two shots before my battery went dead so I missed the most beautiful of the views, the wide swept paddocks full of golden leaves only a few minutes up the road. It had been a drizzly start to the day and the sky was still heavy later that morning so all the colours were heavily saturated when I drove past paddock after paddock of a really intense golden yellow colour with the little bit of light that was there sweeping across it and the Australian bush thick in the background. Oh the times when you kick yourself for leaving behind something that normally should be always carried with your camera. So here are the two I did take and you will have to use your imagination with the rest,lol.

Just popped in

To wish all you Mothers and any women who care for children anywhere a very happy day.

A few things to share.

Mum's mother's day card.

Coloured using copic markers, paper- KandCo, Stamp-MyFavoriteThings , Brads-FTI(white coloured with copics)

Felt flower-scrap of felt from home die cut with a forget me not bosscut die.

My little box of colour happiness, holds my markers, prisma pencils and baby oil

Box-Kaisercraft, Pattern paper, stamp and ribbon-PaperTreyInk

Scalloped die-nestability from BizzyBec's

Donna Downey inspired fabric album for Joseph. A work in progress, I still need to add some diecut stars and photos printed on to fabric. Some more happy colours.
I finally finished Brendan's Mulgaria station album the other day. Used some distress inks to age the cover and bound it using the bind-it-all. A very simple design but I didn't want anything too overly embellished for him.
It was great to find a piece of paper that had Lake
Torrens printed on it.
I'm working on a canvas for my son Joseph's special female friend Sophie. I just thought I'd share the stamp he picked for her, (hope you can read it ok) it says 'you are beautiful' . I thought it was really cute and she really is a beautiful young girl, sweet inside and out.
My favourite saying is on a stamp, woo hoo.

Not a lot to report, had the day home with youngest not well, nothing serious, he will be back at school tomorrow. These are just a few little things I have been doing lately.

A little tale to share.

I've got lots to blog about but no time at the moment but I have to share this little story. I have just picked up my two eldest boys from their after school part time jobs, the older of the two works for a few hours a week at the local supermarket in the fruit and veg department. He couldn't work out why a friend of his could not stop laughing at him at work tonight . She had came into the supermarket looking for asparagus and asked him if he knew where it was, being fairly new he didn't but said to her he did not even know what asparagus was and that he thought it was a part of the body. Which part??? Asparagus veins of course. the poor girls no wonder she almost had a melt down in the store, I'm still laughing every time I think of it.

Arte y Pico

Sweet Em from http://inemscloset.blogspot.com/ has awarded me the Arte Y Pico award, I am very honoured. Once awarded the idea is to send this on to 5 other bloggers who's blogging inspires you. So here's the list (I don't suppose I can send one back can I Em?)I wish I could add more, there are so many inspiring blogs out there.

Kathryn http://kathryn-timeforachat.blogspot.com/ Scrapbooker and home school Mum extraordinaire

Lisa http://theblogoflisavc.blogspot.com/ Cool creative freestyle scrappin'

Peta http://mummaspage.blogspot.com/ Always coming up with original ideas

Kaz http://canwebefrank.blogspot.com/ The rockinest landscape photographer

Bec http://thespiceoflife.typepad.com/ You've got to check out this girls paper crafts work, it's amazing.

So there is the prestigious list, I hope you print the award out and sit them on your mantle and dust them regularly,lol.

Whipper snapper cards

Sorry the cards are a little distorted, I must have photographed them a little crooked, they are at right angles irl, promise, lol.
The dotty back ground on this card is made using the swiss dot embossing folder that wonderful Emily Em'sblog sent to me as a RAK recently, along with a gorgeous card and roll of soft sage ribbon. It's so exciting to get a surprise in the mail, especially all the way from the States. In light of her generosity I have decided to 'pay it forward' and do some blog candy next week, stay tuned for details.
I recently purchased a couple of new stamps from Whippersnapper stamps and had the time last week to have a play with them. I thought the monster stamp would be a great boy card stamp, and we have plenty of boy birthdays in our family, and the umbrella I purchased just because I liked it. I thought the rain sentiment from Papertry Ink went perfectly with it. I'm still loving my nestability dies, used for the border of the sentiment on the bw card, that I bought from BizzyBecs , they are so cool and easy to use with the cuttle bug machine.
Bits of my text keep disappearing as I type, I think there may be something wrong with my computer at the moment ,not sure if is going to show up later when I post this, will have to get it checked out, so if this post makes no sense at all you will know why.

Some shots from Xavier's baptism and Joseph's footy

Joseph playing for his school in the SAPSASA school tryouts

Cute little Xavier and his gorgeous Mum Rachel

For some reason either blogger or my computer are not doing as they are meant to tonight so I'm not sure if all these photos are going to show. There are a few more from Xavier's baptism and the other ones (if they show) are from Joseph's school football game. Kids from schools all over the district came to try out for the SAPSASA (South Australian primary schools athletics? association)football match. Only twenty three kids were selected to form a team for this district (upper south east) to play in Adelaide in a few weeks time, Joseph was overwhelmed to be chosen to play.

The first babtism photo

Of Brendan's uncle, Fr Des FitzGerald who performed the baptism on baby Xavier last Sunday, more photos to come.

Please don't click on the link

on the comment left on the post below. It says "see please here". When I clicked on the name 'salar' I received a message saying it was an undesirable site, thank goodness I did not touch the 'here' link, goodness knows what would have happened. This is the first time I have had anything like this happen on with blogger and hopefully will be the last.

A few photos from the weekend

This weekend just gone we had a trip down home to Port Fairy for my nieces wedding on Saturday and nephews baptism on Sunday. It was the most wonderful weekend catching up with relatives and friends, some of whom we haven't seen in ages. I have popped a few of the wedding up before I go and have a very much needed sleep and will hopefully get more up over the next few days.

Mmmmm cupcakes

Sweet little AmeliaYes, I did bake.

It seems everywhere I look lately there are cupcakes, on stamps, clothing, like this cute little top my friend's sweet daughter Amelia is wearing, (It's possibly a good thing I do not have daughters because with such cute clothes around I would most defiantly never have any money left), I even saw the perfect looking cupcake in our local plant nursery, turns out it was a soap. So with all this cupcake inspiration around I felt I should rev up the oven and bake some myself, they are so pretty and believe me pretty is not something common in our house, which is why I had to photograph them before they all disappeared.
P.S. Amazingly they did taste as good as they looked

Hands up

those who ate too much chocolate over Easter, I know I certainly did. Not only chocolate but all the other good things in life. Friday night we went to a friends house for the yummiest seafood feast of crayfish(lobster) prawns and freshly caught calamari, along with a great selection of yummy salads, my poor tummy had had enough by the end but my mouth just kept wanting to eat, it all tasted too good. The rest of the weekend was mostly spent around the house with just the odd venture out to get videos or attend an Easter service. All in all a great battery recharger.
The loveliest thing this morning was to wake to rain,nothing to heavy at the moment but it is meant to last for a couple of days and the veggie patch is loving it. It's the first rain we've had in months and it's delicious.
Have just heard the posties squeaky brakes so better go and see whether he has bought any thing other than bills.
Cheers.
ETA Thanks to those of you who left a comment and said hi, it's nice to hear from you.

So who are you???

My counter keeps going up but no one is saying hello, so if you have time leave a comment and say gidday.

Poor neglected blog

Paper crafts-not just for indoors.Monkey in the pumpkin patch
Sally and Paul's wedding gift box(don't look Sal) I also have a matching card. This is my favourite

paper at the moment from the new Kaiser range

An Easter card for Joseph's girl friend

Just a little pop up card

I love these new tree stamps from hero arts and the curlicue background stamp from stampit

Egg boxes for the primary school boys teachers

I haven't tended to my little blog for ages. Not a lot has been happening here, just the routine of school, work, sport and the always present household duties.

I have been playing with my toys though and especially my new nestability dies, I really love the scallop circles and have even used it to make stakes for my herb garden. I bought the new Penny Black fresh new day stamp set thinking that it would be a good one for the kids to make their Easter cards with but have ended up using them more myself.

The family is looking forward to the long weekend over Easter, the down time will be nice. We head off in a couple of weeks to my nieces wedding on the Saturday (hence the wedding box, Sal, if you are looking at this close your eyes now) and baby Xavier's Baptism on the Sunday and a family catch up. I'm really looking forward to seeing my big brother too, he is down from Darwin and will get to stay for the wedding., we haven't caught up other than the phone since the beginning of last year.

I hope everyone has a great and safe Easter, cheers.