Redantscrap...

LOs from latest July CC

2011-07-24T19:29:00.000-07:00

This months July Cyber Crop over at Top50 has been and gone. It was a lot of fun, the theme was lights, camera, action. The lovely Linda (guest DT) actually came up with all the suggestions for this months CC and we (the DT) loved them so much we didn't change a thing.

I didn't get a LO completed for the opening night challenge - just not enough time on my hands. I did however get all the others done, partly due to a scrapping evening with the lovely Kathie from Scraphappykat when her and her lovely daughters came for a visit.

Challenge 1: To create a LO showcasing You and to tell a little about yourself. I did this in a roundabout way, by writing a letter to my younger self. There are a few tidbits about me here, but I know that the grey marker is hard to read....sorry. I have used some a little bit fANTsy pins, a gorgeous (and I mean gorgeous) button from Lovelybug Bits n Bobs and a doiley from Lime Tree Creations. I think it has come together quite nicely.

Challenge 3: Was to create a LO that incorporated an 'action' photo and the word 'action' somewhere on the LO. I struggled with this a bit at first, but have to say in the end I love how it has come together. I have used the ticket stubs that the man from the arcade was good enough to give us as embellishmets and I think they look pretty OK.

Challenge 4: Was to create a LO that used a close up photo that was at least a 5x7 and base the LO around that. I had fun with these new papers doing some fussy cutting and mounting. There is some hidden journalling behind the photo and I have included a photo of that too.

Well, that is it for now. As some of you would of noticed - there is no photo for challenge 2. That was my challenge and it was called 5 minutes of fame. I showed you a pic of that one in my last post....the one where Miss T. met Dora.

Thanks for looking. Hope everyone is well. Hugs to you all.

MWAH

Ant

xox

Not so quick share

2011-07-16T03:30:00.001-07:00

It has been a while since I have shared anything here, so I thought I would just put up a couple of LOs that I have done over the past month or so - all for Top50 challenges.

The cake: Should probably read the cake(s) because Miss T's birthday cake was a bunch of little cupcakes decorated to form a magical garden. She loved it, I was 'proud as punch' of my achievement and everyone thought they tasted pretty good (at least that is what they told me!) This LO really hasn't photographed well at all and I broke about 100 needles (OK - slight exageration there) sewing those circles - but I love the effect.

Believe in Yourself: Well - with some of the issues I am having with Master M. who really is a prepubescent teen - I need for him to remember to believe in himself. I have to keep reminding him that he can be anything he wants to be if he puts his mind to it. Had fun with this creating a transparent window and lots of messy sewing around the flowers. This LO has some amazing textures on it - wish the photograph showed that better.

Swim: A sketch challenge that I had fun doing....I love this photo of Miss T. swimming. I have also used some of my pins on this LO - these are from my 'Sunkissed' range. You can find my pins on my f/b page at 'a little bit fANTsy' - come check them out.

Once Upon a Time: Love this photo of Miss T. and am a bit upset that I haven't done it more justice in with this LO. I don't mind it...but I don't love it either. Oh - I do love the flowers I made though.

Footy Obsessed: Firstly let me say that I am glad I checked the dictionary on this one...or it would of been 'Footy Obssessed' and I would of died of embarassment. I don't claim to be the perfect speller....but you have got to get your titles right....right? Creating this LO was the most fun I have had in a long time with paper - I basically papermached bits of the football section on to cardstock to create the back ground. That and the photos are my favourite parts of this LO.

Dora: Scrapping this photo is something that I have wanted to do for ages but it was pretty hard with all those colours. Finally I gave it a go - and I don't mind how it has turned out. This is actually my second attempt...my first attempt was ruined by a ridiculous amount of glimmer mist on the background - gee -have any of you ever known me to be heavy handed with the GM? ;)

A couple of notes re: Dora LO.

1. Those pins are hand dyed by moi and look amazing IRL

2. Those yoyo flowers - under my rolled ones were made by Vicki - you can purchase them here 3. If anyone in the area can remember the date that Dora visited us at Officeworks - could you let me know please?

4. I don't mind if you commend me on my HAND CUT title on this one!

AND just because I feel bad that Miss T's LOs double that of Master M's in this post - I thought I would share a recent photo that I edited here of Master M. playing footy a couple of weeks ago. How cool is that effect? Well - I like it anyway!

Well - on that note I am signing off. This has taken way too long due to some issues with our computer. I am ready to throw it out the window and get a new one. I have tried decluttering it, we have bumped up the speed significantly and it still takes hours for everything to load etc.

Hope you are all well and thanks for visiting. :D Remember - I love it when you leave me even just a little note to let me know that you dropped by ;)

MWAH

Anthea

xoxo

Misting.....who knew it could be sooooo much fun?

2011-05-29T04:15:00.000-07:00

This is what I created today. I got the idea for the misting here. Now admittedly this is one of the very few LOs I have done of late that does not have some from of October Afternoon paper on it (my absolute fav right now) but I loved the idea so much I just had to share and give credit where credit is due. Even though the photo is a little washed out - I have to say that I love, love, love the effect. I did this LO for Vicki's monthly challenge over at Top 50. Thanks Vicki - it was a heap of fun!

The title - which had to be song lyrics from a song that had meaning to you was a Josh Groban song, "You are Loved (Don't Give Up)". If anyone is interested in hearing the song...the Youtube link to it is here....but be warned....I think it is a VERY powerful song and it certainly has the ability to make me cry nearly every time.

Thanks all..

Night, night,
MWAH
Ant
xox

I scrapped!!!

2011-05-20T05:24:00.000-07:00

It feels like it has been forever since I actually sat down and did some serious scrapping. Now so far I have only done 3 LOs and one of them isn't actually photographed yet - but this months CC over at Top50 has really got the scrapping juices flowing - this is the most scrapping I have done in like.....forever! Must be the awesome Fairy Tale theme that is going on...I love fairy tales.

This first LO was the opening night CC set by Joy - we had to use a picture of a fairy tale to base our LO on and I chose this poster of Beauty and The Beast:

To create this:

The journalling is very subtle and is probably not readable, but Matthew actually took this photo of Ray and I on one of our recent vacations. He did a pretty good job I think.

This next LO is my sample LO for my CC challenge. If anyone is interested in giving it a go - you have till Sunday night to get it uploaded and the challenge can be found here. (OK...not a lot of notice....but I must admit, I have been neglecting this blog as much as my scrapping). I totally love how this LO has turned out....one of my favourites in a LONG time. I have used a little fishy button from the lovely Sue over at Lovelybug Bits n Bobs. In keeping with the theme of Fairy Tales (did I mention I love fairy tales), I used The Little Mermaid as my title and went to town trying to create a bit of an 'oceany' theme.

Unlike me - I have also included a close up of one of my little clusters....showing my 'unpicked stitching' and 2 of my new crystal pins. If anyone is interested in looking at more of my goodies - I can be found on facebook here. Would LOVE to see you there.

Well, that is it for tonight. Hpe you get over to the Top50 CC over the weekend to check out more of our wonderful challenges. If you don't get time to do that, perhaps pop over to check out our monthly challenges...there is lots of great prizes up for grabs.

Night, night all.

MWAH

Anthea

xoxo

2011-04-12T03:57:00.000-07:00

Do you want to win this....then go to visit the lovely Becci at Lime Tree Creations here!and you too could win.......Her work is gorgeous!

Handmade by Suzanne

2011-04-06T18:59:00.000-07:00

If you too post this on your blog you too will be in for a chance to win.

All you need to do is add Handmade By Suzanne’s badge to your blog and a link back to the store AND post the details of the competition on your blog. Let them know via Facebook that you have done it! They will draw 10 entrants at random for the prizes and the competition ends Midnight 20th April 2011.

Charmonized!!!!!

2011-04-06T16:43:00.000-07:00

As you know I got to go play with the gals in Mt. Gambier a couple of weekends ago. The lovely Charm had us all over for a fun scrapping afternoon and I can not beleive that I actually got some scrapping done. (In all honesty I only brought my scrappy stuff with me to keep up the pretence that I was there for scrapping and not for Vicki's surprise b'day party!)

Anyway - while there I was totally Chamonized and I created this LO which I absolutely love. Thanks Charm for allowing me to totally copy your style......I LOVE it.

Been busy...

2011-04-03T03:22:00.000-07:00

...doing not a lot of anything. I turned 40 last month. WOWSERS, where does the time go? Had a blast. My twin and I went all out and had a party. We had a ball and think most people that came did too. Will get some pics up soon. (Had a huge issue with the memory card being corrupted so we have had to retrieve them, with a professionals help, and now need to get them on to the computer). Last week I went for a road trip to Mt. Gambier to catch up with some friends that I have made right here - through the internet. Does it get better than that? I actually spent over 16 hours of 48 hours, in a car driving to be there. At 40 you would think I know better...but alas...some of us never really grow up. It was Vicki's 30th birthday and we came from far and wide to surprise her, and surprise her we did. What a great weekend. I have to once again say a huge thanks to Matt (Vicki's other half) for doing such a great job of organising it and thanks to Shaz for driving most of the way. Here is a pic of those of us from Top50 that were there. It isn't the greatest pic - but it does the job. There is a better one somewhere out there, taken with a different camera. Apparently I am the only person who doesn't use a Nikon and my Canon is way too hard to figure out. LOL. Speaking of Top50, we have some new monthly challenges up and we would love for you to join in on the fun and hopefully win some awesome prizes! Come check us out here. My example LO for this month is this:

Hope you get to come over and give the challenges a go.

Hugs and MWAH,

Anthea xox

New Challenge...

2011-02-28T15:51:00.000-08:00

The monthly challenges are up at Top50 for the month of March.

My challenge this month is this LO based on a Pagemaps (halfpage) sketch:

Now I am not going to lie - this sketch for me was hard.....REALLY hard. I have never done a half page before and fitting everything you want into such a small space is no easy feat. But to complete my challenge you don't have to scrap a 12 by 6......you can adjust the sketch to suit a 12 by 12 LO if you want - it is completely up to you.

The prize for this sketch is a $25 voucher from The Scrapbooking Haven. The range of stuff they have is great....in fact...I might just go do some shopping right now. It is a pity you can't win your own challenge hey?

Now if you are interested in a challenge or two come and check out the rest of the challenges here.

We would love to see you.

MWAH

Anthea

xox

2011-02-15T15:23:00.000-08:00

Well - yet again I have been very slack. I guess with school holidays, my MIL visiting, a road trip, work and life there really has been very little time to scrap, little own blog.

Right now we are in the middle of the Top50 February cybercrop.....my example LO for my challenge is this:

If you would like to see the challenge associated with this LO - check it out here. My challenge is challenge 4. The very talented Vicki, Sue and Guest DT member Sarah have also scrapped up a storm and come up with some fantastic challenges.

Not much else to share for now. Hope you are all well.

Hugs & MWAH

Anthea

xox

Happy 2011

2011-01-09T23:14:00.000-08:00

Wowsers, just in the the heading I made two typos; maybe I need to stop celebrating with the alcahamahol, being that we are already 10 days into the new year.

Hope you all had a great one. Christmas here was lots of fun, despite the fact that my darling hubby only narrowly missed out on being admitted to hospital for the big day - he did a bit of begging and maybe some bribing of some doctors to be here. Yeah - it would NOT of been the same without him.

New Years was a quiet one at my Mum's, but it was still enjoyable.

As for scrapping - I must say - I have been VERY quiet. The one LO that I did for this months challenges at top 50 was this one. The products from this LO are mostly from Janets kit at Scrapville for last month. I love how the red and black look together.

I have just finished another LO today but you will have to come to The top50 CC this month to see what I have done. It will be up there sometime this week - not telling when though - that would take half the fun of waiting away. Hope to see you there.

Hugs all.

Anthea

xox

Too Cool....

2010-11-25T16:39:00.000-08:00

Well not really - the weather has been really hot actually and I really wish that Ray would let me use the A/C that we spent a fortune putting in......

I don't have alot to share this week at all. I just haven't been anywhere near as scrappy minded as I have wanted to be. Thought I would share this one from the Top 50 CC which just ended.

The challenge was to use some recycled items on your page. I kinda went to town on this. My base is an old manilla folder that I ripped in half. I am not sure what important paperwork is now loose in the filing cabinet, but I am sure that Ray will let me know sooner or later ;D I also ripped up an old sun protector thing for the car. The string was from a tag off some clothing, and the cards and the bulldog clips were just laying around. The staples and dabomb post it are just regular office supplies. The alphas and the tape are the only 'true' scrappy supplies - oh and the glimmer mist. I really need to get a better photo - but when the weather has been good, I haven't been home to get one. Grrrr.

Also - I just paid a visit to my LSSs' blog and discovered this:

- if you want to win this

...all you have to do is go here, leave a Birthday wish, follow the Scrapville blog and spread the word about this give away and Janet's birthday sale. That is pretty easy right!?

Nothing else for today - TFL

MWAH

Anthea

xox

No tears

2010-11-16T21:09:00.000-08:00

This is my LO for the dare challenge over at Top50.

THIS LO HAS BEEN

REMOVED

FOR

PUBLICATION

I had a lot of fun with this. The LO had to be grungy, use a rainbow, use wire and only one piece of cardstock and 1 piece of patterned paper. This took ages to create, but I do love the effect of the rainbow being unzippered from the clouds.

Have good one all,

MWAH

Anthea

xoxo

New LO

2010-11-11T03:17:00.001-08:00

This is a pic of Matthew taken when he was 6 months old. I have always loved this pic and found the Annalee papers at my2angels to be really great for showcasing it. I basically cut the middle out of the top part of the paper and let the photo come through like a photo frame effect. The flowers were cut on the cricut and layered on top of eachother and slightly inked to kind of blend in with the page...but still stand out...if you know what I mean. The charms and brads are also available at my2angels.

Also: I am a bit slow in posting....but check out this awesome give away here.
It is amazing!

Have a good one everyone.

Hugs

Anthea

xox

My scrap area is tidy

2010-11-06T02:56:00.000-07:00

....

that's all I wanted to say.

MWAH

Anthea

xox

Come check this out.

2010-11-04T18:29:00.001-07:00

If you are interested in selling or buying some really cute handmade stuff in which to beautify your LOs. You really need to come and check this out. You will be sure to love what these gals have created.

I wont be selling anything - but I will sure be coming along to have a browse and maybe spend some money.....maybe :P

MWAH
Anthea
xox

Some new LOs

2010-11-01T23:32:00.000-07:00

Hi all. A new month brings with it a new set of challenges. The monthlies are up at Top50 and are sure to bring in some interesting results. My challenge this month is based on this LO and can be found here.

Basically I really wanted to stretch everyone out of their comfort zone and see some stamping on your LOs....go on give it a go! I dare you - it isn't easy!

The prize for this challenge is a $20 voucher to Wicked Princess.

Speaking of dare challenges.

Every month at Top50, we put the call out for 4 criteria that we, the DT, must use on a LO or card - the catch is - whoever selects the criteria must do the challenge too. This is a fun challenge with nothing to win other than prooving that yes - you can do the dare. OK -there might be a RAK involved too ;) - Why don't you see if you have what it takes to succeed.

Next is actually a LO for Vicki's sketch challenge last month. I started this LO really hating it, but a bit of glimmermist and a quick raid of Sam's stash a bit of stitching and voilla - one LO that I am really happy with. (Fank you Sam!)

Well not much more to add. Hope everyone is well. Hugs all round.

MWAH

Anthea

xox

PS: Yet again Blogger will not let me format this properly.....GRRRRRRR!

For you Sam!

2010-10-25T03:14:00.001-07:00

I will admit it. The only reason I am updating tonight is 'cause Sam guilted me into it.

I have been to two retreats since my last update, both of which were really, really fun and involved some serious lack of sleep. By the time I got home from both of them, all I wanted to do was sleep.

I had great fun meeting people that I had only ever 'spoken' to on forums and such, learning new techniques, catching up with friends that I know from up here and meeting a bunch of other people. Bring on next year and the next round of retreats....I am in!

Thanks to both Kathy and Janet for organising them

Another thing that I have to admit is that I really haven't done much scrapping except for what I have done at the retreats. I have been taking lots of pics though and have a new pile just waiting to be scrapped.

Here is some of the stuff I have done over the past few months.

This one was one of my favs from Scraphappykat's 1st retreat. I usually hate purple - but I love this LO and will no doubt use this colour combo again. This was my entry into on of Sue's challenges at Top50, in which we had to take inspiration from a piece of clothing.

I used the t-shirt I was wearing at the time.

This was another fav. This was my LO for the dare challenge over at top50. I LOVE my treasure chest and keep saying I should try and sub it.....I haven't yet though. I am not sure I could part with it if they did accept it....

A close up of the treasure chest....or chesure trest.....depending on who is saying it. Thank you sooooo much Treens for the coins and mirror to make it a reality.....smashing those mirrors might bring me bad luck....but it was worth it!

There were other LOs that I did that I loved, one in particular, that I can't seem to find a photo of, is the class ran by Tracy at My2angels. I will take another photo and try to remember to show you next time I upload.

This next LO was a challenge set by me in which we had to rescrap an old LO or use a new technique. I chose to rescrap this LO from my very early days of scrapping. I love the photo and the design, it was just really plain. In all honesty I am still not sure which one I like best. I think I prefer the red than the pink....but love the overall look of the second one. Maybe I will do it a third time and get it the way I really want it?

This LO challenge called for lots of white space. I love how this turned out. The title is "the little things" and there is hidden journalling behind the photo which explains how excited we all were, when because of a bit of thought in planning the new bathroom, Tori could finally brush her teeth on her own and turn the taps on. Like I said, it is 'the little things' that make us truly happy.

This LO was for the dare challenge and again I had to use purple....I love how it turned out. Very simple...but nice! I think the photo speaks for itself in this one!

Oh! If Matthew sees that I have put this next one here, I will be killed instantly! He was soooo mad with me for making him pose for the photo and when he saw the LO he was even madder. I still love it and it actually won the challenge that it was made for.

This next one was my challenge sample for our recent Lyrics and Music CC. It was a really fun theme and I think we all enjoyed it immensely. This was about misheard lyrics - in case you couldn't figure it out.

Everything on this LO was either provided by or available at my2angels.
I do have to make a mention of that amazing crushed glass that I coated my stars with...it looks amazing IRL and my photos do NOT do it justice. If you want a direct link to it....you can find it here.

This next one is yet another CC challenge. I don't think I need to say too much about this LO. I just love the way Tori's eyes pop in it.....I will be using blue again on her LOs.

My sample LO for this months CC at Top50.
Really it is showing the love that these two have for one another. Tori really does idolise Matthew. It is also showing how they also enjoy the very simple things in life....like covering themselves with a 'pile of stones'.

Almost EVERYTHING on this page was provided by Tracy at my2angels.

This next LO was for last months scrap whispers at top50. Where someone does a LO and passes it on to the next person who then scraplifts it and so on down the line till the end. Seeing how it evolves is actually pretty cool. In this case mine was last and this one was first.

I love how this turned out.

If you want to play - we have been playing most months so come and join in!

The flowers in this come from my2angels - they are a favourite of mine right now.

And finally - one last OTP (which I NEVER do!)

I did this for a class run by the one and only Melinda. She actually ran the class with completely different papers, but was happy for me to use my own. It is a photo of my nephew and his girlfriend Chelsie, that I took at her deb ball. I gave this to Chelsie as a gift and I think she really liked it. Thanks sooo much Mel I love it!

Well - if you have got this far you are doing very well. I will sign off for now. Hugs to you all and hope you are all well.

MWAH

Anthea

xoxo

A few LOs to share

2010-09-01T22:03:00.000-07:00

It has been a while huh? Here are some LOs that I haven't as yet shared - in no particular order. This first one was for a challenge over at top50 It was based on an advertisement, it required pinwheels, rubons and something else - but I can not for the life of me remember what right now.

This next one I did for another challenge - again I can not remember the details, but I really like how it came out. The 'endure the elements' acetate tag is a play on words as Matthew loves his Element shoes.

This next one was my challenge for last months CC (that is how far behind I am in blogging.) All the stuff on/in the LO comes from My2Angels. If you have never been there, I suggest you check it out - Tracy has some amazing stuff for really great prices too.

Just to show you the hidden journalling.

This one was another Top50 challenge and yet again I can not remember the requirements for it. Once again - most stuff on here is from My2Angels. If you are like me and just love the flowers on this LO and the last one - the gardenias are here and the star flowers are here. But don't think that is all she has in the way of flowers. Take a look around - you will be amazed.

This one was our opening night challenge for last months CC. I think it came up pretty good. We were required to use a food inspired title (ie: you are the apple of my eye), an embelishment that represented that food and a LO smaller than 12 x12. The nuts on my LO are literally some hazel nuts that I cracked open and then dimensional 'magiced' together - I think they look pretty neat. (Self praise is the best kind!)

Well - I have more to share - but will do it in another post. Thanks for checking these ones out. MWAH to you all.

Anthea

xoxox

Wowsers

2010-07-21T01:43:00.000-07:00

Check out here for an amazing give away!

Not to mention she has some very cool stamps and stuff there.

Very, very cool!

xoxox

Some LOs to share

2010-07-15T21:02:00.000-07:00

Hi all, just thought I would share my LO for my challenge over at Top50. I had fun creating this LO.

OK - I know I need a pic here...but this LO has been removed for publication....woohoo me.

The page was created using mostly products supplied by My2Angels. The papers used were Rose Moka Pattern Papers . Embellies were the pink and white felt hearts and stars, that gorgeous velvet pink ric rac, the bling chain down the side and lots and lots of rhinestones. These products lent themselves perfectly to this LO of Tori in one of her moods - don't you agree?

This next LO was created for Scrapville with the wonderful Sassafrass Lass pack available this month (well until stocks run out - which they often do!) I have a second LO here too if you would like to see it. The other monthly kit is a gorgeous kit using Webster's Pages....yum, yum. Check out everyone LOs if you get a chance - you won't be disappointed.

This LO was created for Sue's monthly challenge over at Top50. Sue loves grunge and she set a challenge to reflect that. If you are looking for a seriously fun challenge....check it out here.
Plus all the other monthly challenges are pretty fun too....

Ohhhhh and I nearly forgot.....here is my monthly challenge for Top50. I LURVE this LO soooooo much. He really is a sexy roman gladiator.

This last LO is another for Scrapville.

This was a sketch challenge based on a design by the lovely Melinda.

Go on, give it ago, all you have to do is e-mail it to Janet and you will be in the running to win yourself something.

I love how this page came together, it was my first double in I don't know how long. I couldn't decide what pics to use of the kids and their cousins, so I went with most of them....hence the reason for me s-t-r-e-t-c-h-i-n-g the sketch out a bit. Also if you just LURVE those butterflies as much as me, Janet has them available and she will post them out to you! (& No I don't get commission for saying that...LOL!)

Well, that is it for now.

Happy Scrapping.

MWAH and TFL

Anthea

xox

Top50 CC Tonight....

2010-07-11T06:12:00.000-07:00

Don't forget the Top50 CC is tonight (well it will be tonight in about 45 minutes).

Come along for some fun and laughs and a prize or two. Looking forward to showing you my LO and challenge this month - had a blast with the kit provided by Tracy at My2Angels.

Hope to see you there....

MWAH

Anthea

xox

Big Belated Scrappy News.

2010-07-06T04:06:00.000-07:00

OK! I got a little sidetracked last post. This one is all scrap stuff - I promise!

The first thing that I wanted to do is share with you all my scrappy news and the news is BIG.

Firstly:

I am now officially one of the design team over at Scrapbooking Top50. To be a part of such a wonderful and fun team is really exciting, especially because I already hung out there all the time anyway. Now when Ray says what are you doing...I say, "DT stuff" and that seems to suffice.

If you have never visited there I suggest you pop by to say hi! In fact........(and this is one of those impromptu decisions that I make on occasion) I will send out a small RAK to one lucky person who leaves a comment here and comes and introduces themselves to us here!

The design team over at Top50 is now made up of Vicki (the boss lady), Sue and myself. Each month we also have a guest DT member who is chosen by their involvement in the previous months CC! So....if you join in this month, next month it could be you in the spotlight. Wouldn't you love to work with us!?

Secondly:

I also have been given the honour of being a guest DT member at my LSS, Scrapville. This is also very exciting and I get to work with some really talented ladies here too. Melinda and Marg are the two key DT members over there and their work is incredible to say the least! You can check out Melinda's work here, and Marg's work here - I am sure you will not be disappointed.

So, all in all a good couple of months scrapping wise, to put a smile on my face after not having so much luck job wise. To both Vicki and Janet (the boss lady at Scrapville), I hope that I can do you proud and put out something that you are happy to show off!

Now for some LOs....better show something huh?

This one was Vicki's monthly challenge at Top50. I love how it turned out. I know, the photo is bad but I am hoping you get the idea.

This one is from Kathie's CC challenge at Top50.

This was Kathie's last challenge as DT over at Top50, the person who I am stepping in for. I have very big boots to fill!

I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this page!

The papers and butterfly punch (which were purchased at Scrapville) are to die for and I think it would be hard to get a LO too wrong with them!

This next page was the opening night challenge for last months CC at Top50. This was my first official challenge as DT. I know it is very simple, but I love it too!

This was for our first scrapwhispers game at Top50. So much fun. We are currently running another one and I suspect there will be another one after that is anyone is interested! Don't you love those alpha's?

This challenge set by Vicki in last months CC really put me WAY out of my comfort zone. I have never done anything like it. I tried the quilling after being totally inspired by Melinda. I think it is a kinda cute LO, the title reads "Fly like a bird"

There are a few other LOs that I have done, but I am not quite able to show them here. I hope you are all well. Hugs all round.

MWAH
Anthea
xox

PS: If this post isn't formatted properly - blame blogger. It is peeving me off tonight!!!! GRRRR!

The claytons update post.....

2010-06-29T04:28:00.001-07:00

.....You know, 'the post that is an update that really isn't an update post.....!'

OK! So I have been a bit slack the last little bit...but that doesn't mean that I haven't been doing anything. (edit - this post started as an update post but ended up a little different - sorry!)

I have, as most of you would know, resigned from my position as an oncology nurse. It was a big decision to make and definately not made in haste (but one has to know when it is time to move on) and it WAS time for me to move on! I would like to say that it was sad to say goodbye, but I didn't really say goodbye - I just up and left.

In leaving, I am taking away many years of very fond memories and saying goodbye to many wonderful collegues. I am also walking away from some of the most inspiring people I know - my patients. To be a part of so many wonderful peoples lives and to have had some impact on them is something that I will treasure forever. Many people have said to me over the years "It must be a sad job" or "You must be an angel, how do you do it?" To them I say it can be sad. There are times where you know that even if you give everything you have, the end result will not be what anyone wants.

There are times where you come home and just want to cry....when the 40 year old woman with breast cancer, with the 1 and 3 year old children dies; when the husband or wife of someone married for 40, 50 and even 60 years dies; when the 50 year old with teenage children dies; when the 21 year old with sarcoma is told they wont see another year; when someone looses a Mother, Father, Brother, Sister, Best friend or anyone they love or worse someone they never told they loved; when a young woman or man is told they will never have children of their own - Yes it is sad!

BUT ....... it can be amazing too!

We often see people as they REALLY are.....we see into their very hearts and souls. If we are lucky enough to be allowed in, we get to know their hopes and dreams, their fears, their regrets, their achievements. We really get to see the love that they have for their families and the love that their families have for them. We get to hold their hand and give them a hug when it seems all hope is lost, sometimes that is all we can do!

Cancer patients have a different way of looking at life, they have taught me to literally not sweat the small stuff. When someone complains about grey hairs I think they are lucky to have hair. When someone is complaining about getting another year older I think it is better than not getting another year older. When my kids are annoying the bejesus out of me, I try to remember I am lucky to be here to witness them growing up.

Another thing to remember is not all cancer patients die! Some actually walk out and never ever have to see us again. To be told by a patient "Thank you - I hope I never see you again" are words that maybe only a oncology nurse/doctor etc. could appreciate! To walk down the street and be greeted by someone with a huge hug and 'Hello Anthea (and you have no idea who I am because I have hair, colour, weight, energy, etc.)' is a wonderful feeling. And when a patient does die - the honour of being by their bedside; often with their family and knowing that you have done everything you can do to make them as comfortable as possible is a feeling that I can not even begin to explain.

To my collegues - most of you are people I will continue to call a friend and I look forward to our future get togethers. To my patients; no - I did not say goodbye, for that I am truly sorry! Please remember though, I will never ever forget you all and I thank you from the bottom of my heart for all the lessons, laughs and love that you have given me over the past ten years.

May the "Chemo Angel" we made keep watching over you all! ;)

xoxoxox

tndjdkdkkko

2010-06-07T20:48:00.000-07:00

tndjdkdkkkowoppwpo2pbnnv..c,,mmmmv,.,v,,dxd yhuieiiyi0r0o009t, ,,,,njktunjgjt

Well! Righteo! That was Miss T. having some fun on the computer. She was pretty proud of herself! I had just logged in when a friend arrived and this is what we got when I went to answer the door. Hmmmm - pretty profound if you ask me - she is certainly on a level that I can't reach!

Just thought I would say hi! It has been a while since I have been here and I thought it would be nice to show you all that yes - I am still alive!

We have officially moved into the new house and despite some minor teething pains, we are settling in quite nicely. Tori enjoyed visiting our horse neighbours yesterday and our kangaroo neighbours are also fun to spy on. We have missed the cows a bit as they seem to have been moved to another paddock - I am sure they will be back though!

As of two weeks ago - I am also now a 'lady of leisure'. Still trying to work out what that means. I seriously have not stopped for a second to catch my breath since resigning my position of 7 years. Oh! Yes! Hang on! I lie! I did watch Master Chef last night and the night before!

Scrapping wise I have actually been a bit quiet...but here is some of the stuff that I have done - mostly for the Top50 CC and monthly challenges last month!

This one was for the 'Scrapwhispers' game over at Top50 - if you would like to be a part of the next one - put your name here (you will have to be registered though!) It was a lot of fun and I can honestly say that the first and last LO so far look nothing alike.

This next one was based on the movie poster "Avatar". Yep -it is my cranky pants Matthew.

Now you have all seen this photo before - but being inspired by the latest 'Alice in Wonderland' poster - this is what I came up with! I love how it turned out! BTW - this one actually won me a prize over at Top50. You gotta like that!

This next one was part of the monthly challenges and was set by guest DT member Judith.
Thanks Judith - awesome challenge. This is the first time I have used a banner and I love how it turned out.

This next one was set by Vicki - Love this Vick! Thanks! The journalling is hidden in the tag on the right and basically says how Tori was proud to show off these clothes that were made especially for her.

This next one was a sketch challenge set by the lovely Sue. Another fun LO to do.

Well - that is it for now. Hope everyone is well. I will try to be a more regular blogger, but I aint promising nothing!

Hugs all 'round.

Anthea

xox

A cool give away and some LOs

2010-05-16T05:51:00.000-07:00

Wow - you should check out the cool give away over at Sam's blog. Check it out to be in the running to win this.

Also - just wanted to share some more LOs. Firstly, here is one that I did for the May Top50 monthly challenges, had a lot of fun doing this one...it is a LO of all the colours and swatches (or representations of) everything in the new house. I really like how it turned out.

Next is a LO I did with the May kit from my local LSS, Scrapville. This is actually the second LO I have done with this kit and I still have heaps of product left. I love how this LO turned out.

This is a close up of the cool little apple I made....thought I would try something completly original (if it has been done by anyone else I haven't seen it) and I really like how it turned out...and it was so easy to do!

Next is the first challenge for the May CC over at Top50, "Lights, Camera, Action". In this challenge we had to do a LO based on a movie poster of one of our favourite movies and it had to me smaller than 12 x12.

This is the poster I chose - from one of my all time favourite movies "The Slipper and The Rose". As a side note, if you are a romantic soul and don't mind singing and dancing in a movie, then this is the perfect movie for you. It is the story of Cinderella in a way you have never seen before. I recommend you grab a wine and a blanket, turn up the TV loud and be wisked away into a world of make believe. Anyways - I digress.

I was, of course, inspired by the LO of the poster and used it as a kind of sketch, but there are several other elements in the LO that are not quite so obvious. I tried masking around the photo and papers to imitate the look of the flourishes in the poster (OK - you can't really see it, but I tried none-the-less). The title was also inspired by the theme of the movie and the flowers by the title. This was a really quick LO and I really like how it turned out.

Well, that is it for tonight. I will have more to share by the end of the week I hope as the challenges for this months CC at Top50 are awesome - you should go check them out. I have done 1 and really want to get the other 3 done.

Hugs to everyone...MWAH

xox

I am still here....

2010-05-04T23:23:00.000-07:00

I am still here, just busy with the house and all......sooooo close now. They are thinking in about 2 weeks we will be finally moving in. *waiting, waiting, waiting*. Firstly a pic from Easter that I took and am yet to scrap. Don't you love it? OK - maybe not - but I think it is adorable.

OK - enough of the over proud Mummy act. I also wanted to show you some stuff I have been doing. You may remember from my last post I was a guest DT at the Top50 site. My second LO in that role was based on the CC 'Reflections'. This was my example LO. I love how it turned out.

This next LO was to use a reflective material in the LO among other things. I used foil on the crown (just in case you hadn't noticed!). I am not overly thrilled with this LO, something is missing - but I don't hate it either.

Next we had to do a heritage based LO. I chose to scrap this photo of my Grandparents wedding. Still trying to work out why they used such a black backround? It makes my Grandfather and his Groomsman seem to disappear - but boy - don't the gals look great?

Unfortuantly - that was all I could manage for the crop, but I did manage to get the monthly challenges done....

This first one we had to use an imperfect photo and use a smaller size in our LO. I like how this turned out.

This next one had a few criteria, and I have met them all. I LOVE how this LO turned out.

These are some little embellies I made for the April Embellishment swap. I think they came up pretty good. The photo in this is a Redant original - one day when I become known for my amazing photography, you can tell everyone you knew me when......

Next are these adorable flowers that I made. How cute huh? If you go to the Top 50 site, you can find the link to how to make them.

I have also just completed a LO for my LSS Scrapville. My LO isn't up yet, but will be soon. I really like how it came together.

Janet, the boss lady over at Scrapville, has some of the most amazing monthly kits, so if you are interested, go and check them out. This months kit is just awesome and I have already created one LO with it (which I can't show right now) and I already have a second LO planned for it!. If you are interested in this months kit, this LO by Melinda can be made with it. Don't you just adore it?

I almost forgot to mention - the Scrapbooking Top 50 is looking for a new DT member here. I know there are a few of you out there who would be perfect for the job, so why not give it a go.

Anyways - better go now...lots of things to do. Hugs to everyone.
Anthea
xox

Guest DT for the month of April

2010-04-01T04:29:00.000-07:00

Well - due to the effort that I put into last months CC - I was given the opportunity to be a guest DT member over at Top50. At first I was reluctant; we are meant to be moving in to the new house this month, it is Easter (which is traditionally a very busy time for us) and was I good enough? I got over all of that and decided what the heck - I can only try. I was asked to do 2 LOs for the month, the first was to replace Kathie, while she is on hols and come up with a monthly challenge.

Being Easter, I decided to go with an Easter LO and to make it bright and colourful. If you want to check out the challenge go to here. Also don't forget the check out the challenges set by the lovely Sue and Vicki. It is the first time I have done something like this - so I would love for you all to give it a go.

Here is the LO

It is quite obviously Tori discovering and studying an Easter egg. Even though it was her second Easter, it really was the first where she understood something really cool was happening; and that small red Cadbury egg, from the Easter Bunny himself, was something that she was completely awed by.

The next challenge is part of the April CC, titled 'Reflections', running from the 12th to the 25th of April. If you don't already plan on being there, we would love to see you - there is lots of fun on opening night, lots of great challenges and lots of wonderful prizes.

Take Care everyone

MWAH

xox

Another LO

2010-03-24T04:38:00.000-07:00

I did this LO for one of the March challenges over at Top 50. This challenge was set by the lovely Vicki (whos birthday happens to be today - Happy Birthday Vicki) and basically was that we had to try a technique that we had never tried before. I have never tried masking and I have never tried raising a portion of a photo up like this. I really like how this turned out and look forward to trying both techniques again.

Removed for Publication

(I will have to make one of those

little 'removed for publication' boxes for

here

heheheeh)

Have a great day all.

Hugs

Anthea

xox

2010-03-21T15:40:00.000-07:00

OK - it has been a while, so I thought that I would upload some pics. This first one is one that I did "Just Because". It had been a while since I had done a LO that wasn't a challenge and I really wanted to scrap these photos.

The next ones are from the Top50 March CC which was all about seasons. I found these challenges to be very challenging, but this is what I came up with....in no specific order. There were of course set criteria that we had to meet, but I wont go into them here....if you are interested head over there to check them out.

Spring

Summer

Autumn

Winter

Mystery Challenge

Well, that is it for now. In the process of making 9 little snowmen for the March Embelly Swap - hope everyone that gets one likes them. Have a great day everyone.

MWAH

Anthea

xox

My day with Kathie

2010-01-15T01:32:00.001-08:00

Well, if you are one of the Scrapbooking Top 50 gals, or a follower of Kathie's blog, you may know that today we finally got to meet. Kathie was in Benella for the week visiting a friend, so I took the opportunity to go and visit her. I had a great time meeting her and her two lovely daughters. I got tons of photos, but these are some of my favourites in no particular order.....

The kids on the apple.

Tori and Miss Gillian (Tori refusing to do anything but hug Miss Gillian!)

The rocket - see if you can spy the kids.

Kathie and Miss Angela.

Matthew - yep - Master attidude himself.

The gorgeous Kathie.

Tori, NOT posing for the camera despite my pleas.

Miss Angela....

Miss Gillian

Tori, licking the frosting of the babycino plate.

Kathie and Moi (Photo taken by Matthew)

And because Matthew figured out how, a pic taken with the self timer on the camera - balanced quite precariously on the pram......hehe.

Kathie's girls were so well mannered, Tori tried (she is only 2 and half) and Matthew, well he was his typical rambunctious self. By the time we left though, he had settled down a bit and had stopped trying to show off in front of the new girls he was meeting! He tried to tell me he didn't think they were beautiful: yeah right - so why was he trying to impress them so much (very unsuccessfully I might add)?

Kathie, it was lovely meeting you and I truly hope that we can do it again! I might leave Matthew at home though!!!

MWAH

Anthea

xox

Amazing Prize over at Scraphappykat

2009-12-19T16:34:00.000-08:00

Now as much as I would love to keep this to myself, to increase my chances of winning, I thought I would continue to spread the Christmas cheer and let you know about the amazing prize up for grabs over at scraphappykat. Kathie and the girls have an EZ Cut machine & Dies up for grabs right now....and ALL you have to do is leave a comment on her blog. How cool is that? Kathie is known for her generosity, but this takes the cake. Pop over and say hello and leave some Christmas cheer. Kathie (and everyone who visits my blog) I wish you all a wonderful and safe Christmas and a year ahead that is filled with joy. May all your dreams and wishes come true.
xox

Not a lot to show....

2009-12-05T23:12:00.001-08:00

Hey all....

I guess it has been too long since I have done alot of scrapping. This LO was done as a monthly challenge over at Scrapbooking Top 50 last month. Due to several reasons, this was one of only two LOs that I did all month. This great challenge by Sue was primarily a colour combo challenge where we also had to use a nursery rhyme. I used the rhyme from the book "I love you forever" and came up with this fairly simple LO. (In saying that though, cutting out those flowers is not something I will be wanting to do on a regular basis.) I also finally got to try out my new dymo lable maker....how cool!

I am also participating in a journal tag swap right now and this is what I have made for them. The second one was most certainly inspired by the amazing Tracey, and even though it is pretty different....I really like it. Actually, I have some recent photos of our local neighbourhood peacock and I am wondering if I can incorporate the word 'love' into a LO about him!? Any ideas?

Anyway - that is about it for now.

Hope everyone is well.

MWAH

Anthea

Retro CC

2009-10-28T03:05:00.000-07:00

Here are some LOs from the Retro CC this past month at Scrapbook Top50. These are my favourites.

Hope you enjoy!

Bohemian Challenge

2009-10-05T01:06:00.001-07:00

This is a LO that I did which required the use of Bohemian style. I had no idea what this meant - but armed with a sample LO from the gorgeous Sue and a some advice from her on what it meant - this is what I came up with. It is a LO of my beautiful niece Chloe.

New scrapping space.

2009-09-26T02:31:00.000-07:00

Hi all - I have decided it is time to split my blog into two. One for general stuff and one for scrapbooking. I am doing this so that everyone that is not interested in my scrapping doesn't have to look if they don't want. Of course they are more than welcome to look though.

This week I have been busy participating in the Spring Fling Cyber Crop at Scrapbooking Top 50 I have had a blast and been challenged with every single LO. Thanks to everyone over there for such a fun time.

Without further ado, here is what I have created this week.

Mystery Challenge: Opening night

The criteria was it had to have red as a dominant colour, had to include distrssing, had to have buttons and had to be of a holiday.

Challenge 1: Prom Night

Had to have 90% white and only one other colour. I love this LO.

Challenge 2: Floral Bouquet

This was a sketch challenge that I found particulary hard. I stuck pretty much to the sketch and although I am not entirely happy with this one - I still think that I had the right idea.

Challenge 3: Pick a Bunch

Had to have blue and purple, had to have staples or pins (there are heaps of staples they just don't photograph well), had to use paint on a stamp and had to have a home made journal card (is there any other sort?) I love this even though I would NEVER normally use purple in a LO.

Challenge 4: New Beginnings

This had to be a LO about a new beginning - if I get time I will add the journalling on my other blog as it relates directly to Tori and her diagnoses of achondroplasia. This LO is nothing special, but the journalling is something that I have wanted to do for a very long time. The message that I hope to convey through this is that even though new beginnings can be difficult, we can overcome them. We cant always choose the beginning, but we can choose the story that follows and the way the characters react to certain situations. I thank my darling Tori for teaching me that.

Challenge 5: Animal Crackers

Had to include an animal embellishment (the cute home made bird I made) and some doodling. The doodling is minimal, but it IS there. I love how this came out. The jounalling reads, ..."is my Italian nickname for you, meaning my cute little baby bird."

Thought you might like a close up.

Challenge 6: Special Delivery
OK -I got this one all screwed up - it pays to check the criteria BEFORE doing the card. It was supposed to include bright home-made flowers, include a happy sentiment and a charm. Well I got the charm bit right and the card IS a 'happy birthday' card for Matthew. As for the flowers - if only he had liked gardening I may have had one on there - lol. The charms all represent something Matthew enjoys doing; a spatula and spoon = cooking, bike = biking, book = reading & fish = fishing. As for the bright - red and blue are bright.....right?

Well that is it. My first post on my new blog. Hope you like the title.....read it how you like....hehe.

Have a good one.

Hugs

Anthea
xox