Happy Birthday Emsy :D

Hi Lovelies,

Today's post is a celebration of the last ten years.  Yup ten years ago today Emsy was born.  I can't believe that it has been ten years already.

  
  

 My baby is no longer.  She is becoming a real little lady now.  I keep telling her once she hits double digits it's all down hill mwhaa mwhaaaaa haaaa haaa.  She doesn't get it, but hey I have fun.  So we have been busy getting ready for her big day.  Yesterday afternoon we (Emsy, Lils & I) made twenty eight cupcakes for her class.  I wrapped up all her gifts while she was at school.  Organised for Bill (Lilly) to pick out a card and put an Itunes gift card in it.  Gave Bill her charm for her bangle (it's a late birthday gift).  So this morning after having breaky at Macca's, dropping the girls off at school and putting Doug back to bed, I get to make a cake for home.  Tomorrow night Grandad and Grandi are coming over for dinner.  As they can't make it tonight (awwwwe).

Well peeps have a great day and happy crafting.

Butterfly Love

Hi Lovelies,

I thought today I would share with you some pictures of where I craft.  Doug, the kids (sometimes) and I all share a small space, we call the office.  Just a few days ago I did a revamp of my "side".  Now it seems like we have more room and I do infact have space to use when I decide to attack the cube storage system on Doug's side.  So not looking forward to that.  It's chock full of my sewing stuff and some office stuff.  But hopefully it won't be as painful as I think.

My desk use to be in front of the window, so now it's next to Doug's desk with my old paper storage rack in the corner with my stereo on top of it.  Also when I craft my laptop just fits up there.  I'm thinking the stereo needs a new home.  Maybe on the floor  on on one of the lower shelves on the side of my desk.  I'd hate to knock off my laptop and knowing my luck that would happen.  So far my new space seems to be working.  I've told the tribe that my stuff/area is off limits.  I get sick of see about two foot of "crap" on top of my desk all the time.  Today I found fluffy dice on my trolley - thanks Bill.  I swear that girl does this to drive me crazier.  

The other day I decided that I was "wasting" way too much time on trying to find the right colour Distress Ink for my projects.  Even though I have them all right in front of me  me in the black shelving unit on my desk.  So I came up with this idea.   I have something similar on canvas that I made years ago.  But I think because it got way too much light some of the colours have faded.  It's still a pretty piece of art but not useful.  So I decided to make a new chart.  I used the Hero Arts butterfly from one of the digi kits I got years and years ago.  Printed up five pages of eight butterflies.  Yep I have nearly that many colours.  I then proceeded to colour them all in and cut them out.  I used two pieces of Bazzil "French Vanilla" which I cut into four, six inch squares.  I then used glue dots to adhere the butterflies into what I think are similar colours, wrote the colour beside each one and blue tacked them to the wall in front of my desk.  So simple & pretty.  I inked the edges of the c/s with Walnut stain just to give them a border.  I figure this was the simplest way to do display my colours and a cheap way  that lets me add to them if needed.  

Well beautiful peeps I'm off to wrangle kids, "stupid" the dog and maybe a husband if he is awake. 

Have a great day sweeties....

It's been awhile

Hi Lovelies,

It's been a very long time between posts.  It's funny how a change in location can affect the way your life goes.  Since moving house at the end of 2014, I think it's taken this long to get settled.  So much so that I had completely stopped crafting for over 12 months.  Which meant this blog got neglected.  So here I am dusting off the cobwebs, vacuuming out the dust bunnies and trying to remember how to blog.  I've even had to you tube some tutorials on using Gimp 2.8 (yet again) so I can hopefully show some pictures of what I've been doing of late.  I'm also thinking I may have to do a revamp of my blog some time soon.  Just to keep me interested.

Recently my wonderful friend Helen was on the coast for a holiday (she moved to Sydney just after we moved in)  & we had a wonderful time catching up.  It was actually her idea to start blogging again.  So thank you Helen for reminding me what fun times I've had with this blog.

This is all of us at a local look out above Nambour (on the way to Mapleton).  It was rather cool that day & a little windy.  We had just picked the girls up from school so they didn't have a chance to change out of their school uniforms.  The girls had a great time playing in the tiny park at the look out which gave Helen a chance to grab some great photos.  (These are all hers)

I'm not sure if I have posted about our newest family member before but here is a photo of our "Baby" Pippa.  Who Smudge (the cat) absolutely hates.  So much so that for the first 7 - 9 months after Pippa arrived Smudge wouldn't leave our bedroom or our bed.  Howard Hughes eat your heart out :p.

According to the Noosa RSPCA Pippa is a Louisiana Catahoula Leopard Dog.  Personally I think she's not purebred but I guess they where only going on what her mother is.  I can't wait for the puppy stage to be finished.  Yes at nearly 30 kg and about 60cm high she's still a pup.  I have at least another  12 months before she hopefully settles down.  I'm sick of finding things chewed up!  She even ate the ignition switch on my Webber BBQ, can you believe that.  It may look cute, but I know better.

Well lovelies I'd better go - Smudge is cracking up about something.  Either she wants out of the house or thinks I should go to bed.  Dopey cat!

Huge hugs to you all - Paula  

Hi Lovelies,

I just want to thank you all for your kind comments on my last post.  It was totally unexpected & I do appreciate them.  I just thought I should explain why I hadn't been posting.

Since then I've been busy.  So busy this is going to be a long winded post, so you might want to go & get a cuppa.  You will probably need it by the end.


Emsy & I have made cupcakes, a cake, some Easter baskets (mini ones) & I've spruced up Emsy's Easter basket & I've made "Easter" themed biscuits.  Plus I've finally given in to my dh & we are starting to Potty train Lil's.  So far this morning we've gone through three pairs of undies (all big sissy's of course).  We've had one success & two little accidents.  Not bad really....................

Well enough potty talk, so here are a few random photos (all taken on my phone) of the things we've been doing of late.

These cupcakes where for our Mothers' Group's kids.  I then had to make a cake for the mums as well.  Emsy was quiet insistent on that.  Emsy put all the Easter eggs on the top & had loads of fun doing (& eating) it.

This "cheeky monkey" insists on feeding herself.  So I've wised up & bath/shower/hose her down after a meal.  It helps keep the peace that way.  I just love the look on her face, it's sooooooooo Lilly!

These are the baskets we made for all of Emsy's Mothers' Group kids.  We ended up having some leftovers, so we have given them to friends & family as well.

 This sign cracks me up!  I love it.  It is outside our local shops on the Notice board.  Gotta love a Cranky Dinosaur.

 This is Lilly's Tiger face.  I brought some face paints the other day & then googled/you tubed how to face paint.  I found Lisa Joy Young's You tube channel the easiest to follow.

 Emsy wanted to be an Easter Bunny on Friday so I sat her down next to my laptop & we stop started the video so I could do this.  Not bad for a first effort, even if I say so myself ;o)

 I did this unicorn on my arm so I could practice it.  I knew Emsy would want one as soon as she saw it.

Lastly here are my "Easter" themed biscuits.  I find The Sweet Adventures of Sugarbelle a great blog for tips, tricks & ideas.  I also used her biscuit recipe & it makes the nicest biscuits.

Well thanks for stopping by & getting to the end of this post.  I do hope that your Easter break was a wonderful time of celebration, peace & love with your family & friends.

One matching envelope

Hi there,

Well I am back & am on a bit of a creative roll.  Gotta love that.  Today I am going to share an envelope that I've just finished about 5 minutes ago.  It is for my uncle's card (last blog entry).  I found this tutorial on how to make envelopes for your cards, love that it's so easy :D.  Here is my envelope:

It's hard to see on this picture but I basically used this technique by Shari Carrol.  I really loved doing this sort of thing.  I think the reason why is because you just never know how it will turn out in the end.  I have also used versamark ink & canvas stripe on the red Bazzil just to give it some interest.  Unfortunately the cling fell off the block as I was positioning it so the bottom half is a little skew-if.  I also intentionally made the words crooked.  I broke out of my comfort zone to do this.  I just went for it & tried not to think that part through.  Yeah, yeah me think I know ;P. 

Also I've discovered why my Lillybug is so cranky & upset :(, poor baby has a virus & her little bottom is redder than that piece of bazzil.  As well as being blistered.  I took her to the dr's today because of it.  We just thought the poor little mite was teething & that's why her tummy was so upset.  Some days it's hard to know what's what in the world of babies :{. 

Well I hope that you all are having a wonderful weekend in your part of the world & happy crafting xoxoxoxoxo 

Happy Birthday Uncle Gil

Hi there,

Bet you thought I fell of the face of the planet? ;P.  Well not quite, I've just been super busy doing mum stuff.  Lately the days have all been blurring into one, not sure what is going on there?

Well enough dribble, here is a card that I have managed to make today (in between looking after cranky bum Lils') for my uncle who will be 70 this Sunday.  So of course we are all going to get together & celecbrate :D.

I decided to make an easel card, just because I haven't made one for awhile.  I chose this paper, purely because I thought it was "blokey" (manly).  I also decided to make this a larger card it's nearly 6"x6".  I also broke out my embossing powders, hadn't used them in simply forever!

Here is a close up of the embossed areas.  I fussy cut the leaf from the paper & decided to make it a focal point on the card.  Plus the stem needed "stiffening" so it wouldn't tear off.  Embossing powders seemed the way to go.  I did a few layers on the leaf & about 5 layers of embossing powder on the 70.  Just so it looks better (to me).

Thanks for stopping by & have a great weekend & happy crafting xoxoxoxo