11 more sleeps

but I'm not counting!!!

Bali - simply can't wait!!! It is coming up so quick so now in the process of dwindling down food etc in the fridge, ensuring all passports etc are ready and I have the visa entry $$ etc... Next week will drag out the suitcases, organise Chionia's pressies as it is her birthday whilst there as well as DH 50th (the whole reason we are going!). So looking forward to NOT cleaning or cooking or food shopping or mums taxi service - so looking forward to sipping cocktails by the pool and CHILLAXING. Suggestions for books please :)

In the meantime though we are kept busy - a few guest DT spots YAY!!!!!!!! And a chance to sit and play has been nice :) Last weekend I completed a mini album for Donna who turns the big 40 today hehe - will take her pressie across later as everyone signed tags at last nights dinner for her which go inside. All Donna needs to do is to pop some photo's on each page and voila!! I am sure Candice will help ;)

Using some of my favourite things - Graphic 45 and something new - Flourish with a Bling - a fabo new company here in Australia - keep an eye out for more from me using their products ;)




I also did another one of these back in January for Gordon's 60th!! This one I completed straight from a class kit - nice when you don't have to think just copy!! They are quick and easy to make and very eye catching I think :)











Also found a beautiful old photo of my nanna back in her hey days at the Yealering ball.








sneak peak


oops and another card I did - yes a card lol!!

A little bit of me

is now on an airplane on its way to the Graphic 45 headquarters :) - was very nervous handing over my 3.7kg parcel to the post office - all out of my hands now lol - can't do anymore!! Good luck to the other 24 finalists too

1. Amanda Phillips - Goose Creek, SC
2. Laura Denison - Maple Valley, WA
3. Jane Tregenza - Australia
4. Karen Wilson - Prescott Valley, AZ
5. Gloria Stengel - Oceanside, CA
6. Tara Orr - Canada
7. Michael Jack Putman and Lesley Fisher - Mesa, AZ
8. Sherry Cheever - Jeffersonville, IN
9. Jamie Dougherty - Ramona, CA
10. Hilde Janbroers - The Netherlands
11. Tracey Locher - Escondido, CA
12. Leica Forrest - Canada
13. Karen Bearse - Fairfax, VA
14. Lynette Carroll - Braintree, MA
15. Natalie Dever - Sheboygan Falls, WI
16. Nicole Eccles - Springboro, OH
17. Robin L. Shakoor - Fredericksburg, VA
18. Melanie Forbes - Australia
19. Nancy Wethington - St. Louis, MO
20. Jade Moore - Belleville, Il
21. Tonya A. Gibbs - Keystone Heights, FL
22. Tomoko Takahashi - Japan
23. Jason Jones - Whitesboro, TX
24. Jenny Svensson - Brakne-Hoby, Sweden
25. Yuka Hino - Japan

I have been blog hopping and OMG some of their work is out of this world! It will be tough to chose the final 10 - glad it isn't me who has to narrow it down :P I decided to create 3 new projects especially for Round 2 - something that reflects me and my style and my capabilities :) So spent last weekend playing and then left them for a day to ponder over and give final touches to before posting off. Hope the glass front doesn't break on the way eekkk!! Anyway I have decided to share - all projects had to be sent by yesterday so there's no harm I guess rofl!! And you know me - love to share so here it goes

Layout - the photo is one I took when playing with the camera off auto at the beach a couple of weekends ago - hence the photographers talk for the title!! Lots of distressing and ink and chipboard :)



Card - I tend to overthink cards and turn them into little masterpieces - only addition to this card is I added lots of beautiful mica to the flowers




and my OTP item - I chose a clock to alter - bought a cheap one from Homeart here and it was hideous lol - pure white background with primary coloured butterflies scattered on it....well a bit of paper, 3D mount tape and lots of playing resulted in a very Steampunk inspired clock! Now to pray it makes it in one piece - it has been wrapped up very carefully!!!!






Well there you have it - all 3 projects!!! Thanks for all the special messages too - it is nice to know people are excited for me!!! Off to clear up my scrap desk and scrap some more :)

Time for it to sink in!

lol Still pinching myself about making the final 25 for Graphic 45 - with the early morning wake up call it didn't really sink in that I had actually made it and what it meant!! So what does it mean to me!! An honour that G45 chose me out of so much talent in the world (not just Australia!!) And when I went looking at the names on the list etc started to quietly poop myself and then doubt whether I was up to it rofl!

But can now say that I have finished 3 projects I LOVE and I believe reflect me and my style and what I can do and will be posting them off asap to the other side of the world with fingers and toes crossed and dreaming of making the DT :) :) :) Now to sit and wait eekk!!



So other news

Dad has started up a blog for his photography stunning photo's and if you want they are available for sale - just leave a comment and dad will get back to you!

Busy months ahead...Bali is coming up fast (YAY but oh no so much to do before then) - followed by Kalbarri in Easter, a trip to Brisbane in June, Sydney in July, it goes on!!

Into week 3 of the MIchelle Bridges program - doing well - working out 5 days a week ( I know we are suppose to do 6 and if it happens on the weekend it happens - just like yesterdays bike ride and today's beach walk!) foodwise - the recipes are yummy and it has only been a handful of times I have felt hungry or just wanting to not think calories and how long it would take to burn off!! Clothes are getting looser and with 4 more weeks to Bali I hope I will be another 4kg lighter again too!!!

A couple of weeks ago Rachel and I did a photography course in Fremantle prison with Imagetree - had lots of info and can now say I understand my camera a whole lot better and now taking photo's in manual not auto and loving editing them in Lightroom thanks to a tut by dad!! Here is a few from that day where we had models and then a couple I took at the beach last weekend of the girls using dad's camera and his flashes - lots of great photo's to work with now :) hehe ;)













Long weekend here today and cause I have been head down and bum up working on my Graphic 45 entries the house looks like a bomb has gone off - heading up to Bears Rock this arvo for some fishing etc along the beach so had best head off and crack the whip!!!

OMG

I have made round 2 for the Graphic 45 DT call Looking at the list of 25 finalists has me a bit awestruck - there is some serious talent there!!! Good luck and congratulations to everyone who made it :) Off now to finish creating my projects!!! You know how people have a paper company that is just them - they have to have the latest ranges of that particular company whether is be Basic grey or Cosmo Cricket or Echo Park - Mine is Graphic 45 and to have this chance is unreal!!!!! Now you all have to cross absolutely everything you have to get me through this final round - to work on their DT would be one of my ultimate dreams :0

I was going to blog this morning about a few other things but scrapping has got the upperhand and I have a desk that needs some serious cleaning on it before I can start rofl!!

Just quickly though - the Michelle Bridges 12 week body transformation program has started and even though I started a couple weeks beforehand unofficially I have now lost just over 4kgs in just under 4 weeks!! :) Feeling very happy with that - long way to go but it is working and I am enjoying getting out every day completing my exercise tasks and getting that me time :)

Off to get some milk as we have run out!! And I will need a few cuppa's to get my creative juices flowing seeing that Miss Sherry woke me so early on a Saturday morning with the news :)