Time to blow off the dust...

Wow 4 long years has past and my poor blog has been neglected all that time.  So much has happened...most not good :(  Life has certainly thrown us a curve ball the past few years.  Just when it seemed to be improving bam knock us down again.  But hopefully now I can see the light at the end of this very long tunnel. Hopefully I can get my head out of this darkness and surface again...

I havent been completely stagnant, but not much crafting has been happening until just recently.  I have had a few years of really concentrating on my photography. But man its been hard dealing with the public and public demands.  i think im over it and have to say that ship has sailed, even though I am sad about that decision its been a long time coming.

I've learnt quite a bit about photography, especially night photography and long exposure.  Totally loving astro photography.

and have been taking images such as this star trail.  I love it and I hope my passion for it never dies.

Kids have been growing like weeds. Kloe is now 16 and has a job and her Learners permit. Last year she traveled overseas to the Philippines with her school. She is growing up a beautiful person right before my eyes.  Jack is 8 and has been having a really hard past few years. his medical issues keep mounting but he has been a real trooper through it all and I hope he continues to do so because he has a long road ahead of him still.  Flyn is 7 and is a real boy!!  he loves being loud and noisy and busy and riding his bike and scooter, plays football for the school and is just an all-round crazy kid.  He drives me nuts but i wouldnt swap him for quids...well maybe...haha

We have added to our family...a beautiful baby girl named Poppy Rose.  She has been amazing and awesome and everything we had hoped she would be....except for the snot she sneezes and the snoring and the hair....everywhere...lucky we love her to bits!!!

I hope to start sharing my artful creations with you all again now.  Although Im not sure how many of you are still here

No Im not dead.....

Wow I cant believe it has been soo long since I have put anything on my blog.

So much has happened this year, most of it not good, and I wont bore you all with the details, lets just say its on going and my artfull creativeness has taken a backseat to life.
I have been pursueing (sp?) my other passion...photography a bit more...but even that has been in spits and spats.

I will try to update a bit more often...and would really, dearly like to get back into creating very soon...but am taking each day as it comes at the moment.

I will leave you with recents of the squirts :)

Are you a Diva???

This week Tickled Pink Stamps are sponsoring Divas By Design who have the wonderous challenge with the theme...ANYTHING GOES!!!!
I have used Lil Greek God Apollo LeStat.  Such a handsome devil.....and once I got this song in my head it wouldnt leave lol....so I hope you are singing along too!!!

Why dont you drop on over to the Tickled Pink Blog and see what the others girls have created!

Back with a Beauty...

Well it seems like forever since I have posted on my blog and guess what....it has been.  ABout 6 weeks to be exact!.  Yep missed Christmas and New Years, and the whole silly season.
Life has just been too hectic and a bit crazy around here with school holidays, the silly season and the fact that my husband has been away working for nearly 10 weeks!!  yep about ready to pull my hair out!  Seriously.

Because of this I have been on a bit of a crafting hiatus....but I think now I am back!!
And back in time for a new challenge over at Tickled Pink Stamps Challenge. Our challenge for you this week is easy....we want you to use SOMETHING NEW!!!

Easy Peasay hey!!  Now I have used lots of new things on my card.  The first being my new Image LIL GREEK GODS LOLITA APHRODITE WILLOW.....   I just love Willow..she has been my favourite right from the start.  I have also used some new papers from October Aftrnoon and I have tried to keep it Clean and simple which is also something new for me....lol I usually love all my flowers and bits and pieces.
Anywho without further ado....

Gawd it has been so long since I had picked up my copics I had nearly forgotten how...lol

Now its your turn...what will you come up with??

Its nearly Christmas.....

Wow Christmas is just creeping up very fast this year!  i ams o not organised...are you??  Well to hopefully get you a bit more organised, especially with your cards the monthly theme at Bizzy Bec's Store blog is ...you guessed it..  CHRISTMAS!!!

Now I have a wonderful friend Trish who was naughty and got me this super cute exclusive Tilda from MAgnolia.  She is exclusive to a shop in Europe.  Big MWAHS to Trishy I do love her very much and you are VERY naughty for getting her for me...but I do love her!!!

i have been keeping my christmas cards very plain this year otherwise they cost a fortune to post!!  Lesson learnt last year lol!!

So come on get out your tinsel and mistletoe and lets see your chrsitmas creations!!!

OMG I have SCRAPPED!!!

I know now dont fall out of your chairs......for those who know me its been quite sometime since I have scrapped...well scarpped anything that I have been partically fond of and willing to share....lol.
But when I got my new Designer Kit from Country Papercraft i just couldnt help myself.  i love love love the paper range!!!  Its 'Gathering' by Authentique.  Now I am so far out of the loop nowadays with anything scrapping that I have honestly never heard of this company before..I know shocker right!!  But i just fell in love with the blues/browns/oranges and I am so NOT an orange person.

Anywho i have made two pages...yes thats right TWO with the kit so far and here they are.
First up is my favourite shot of my daughter.

And the second is of my youngest Flyn who is just such a damn dag!!

So there you go i still remember how to scrap...woot woot..who would have known!

Can you write???

Ok so its monday and not friday and I truly dont know where the weeks are going and I'm going a bit stir crazy with hubby away for so long this time...eeek 3 weeks!!   Long time no see!!!
So I totally and utterly forgot to post this....ha story of my life lately!!!

Anywho without further dribble this weeks challenge over at Tickled Pink stamps Challenge is...... Handwritten Sentiments!!!   I know a tad scary but truly find someone who has beautiful writing and get them to do it for you...no one said it had to be YOUR writing lol.

Sketch time again....

Wowsers guys this is late and I have no one to blame but myself.  these past few days have been crazy crazy around here.
First up woke up thursday morning to find our frog had escaped from his tank.  looked everywhere, spent most of the day looking for him.  then had my brother who i dont get to see very often come visiting thursday night, and totally forgot to set this up to post.
then today got up looking for the frog again.  Mainly because we really missed him and wanted to find him and secondly because I didnt want him dying in the house somewhere...ewww.

So there you go my excuses for forgetting to post the new challenge over at Tickled Pink Stamp Challenges.

This week is a great one yet again, but then they are all pretty spesh!!!  We have a fabbo sketch for you and really really want to see you all joining in with us!!


Here is my take with a brand new image!   Love love love her!!!  Little Lolita Evie!!  Gotta love her big eyes ..totally gorjuss!!

Its time for Vintage......

*Warning picture heavy post*

Well I must say i am loving this weeks theme at Tickled Pink Stamps Challenge.
My favourite kind of theme....VINTAGE!!!

Now my creation this week is based on a card I saw on Monique Lokhorst's blog.  Monique runs it as a class where she lives in the Netherlands (i think).  I have tried to case her idea as I loved it.  Now not sure I have done it anywhere near how she has done hers but the style is similar.  Thanks Monique for the incredible inspiration.

I also want to aplogise for the terrible colouring of the photos, but had to take the pics late at night as the card was for my SIL's bday and I was running late with it so didnt get a chance to take photos in the daylight...sowwy...but I guess it adds to their vintage feel??   LOL...maybe!

Cant wait to see what you come up with for this fabulous theme!!


I would also like to enter into the following Challenges..

Digital tuesday challenge- Anything Goes (image is a digi)
Deep Ocean Challenge Blog - Vintage
Create Me Pink - at least 1 flower (mine has lots!)

Circles circles everywhere...

Ok so blogger isnt being nice yet again.

Well its that time yet again...yes Time for another Bizzy Bec's Blog Challenge!!  Where do these months go??  I swear this year is flying past at record speed.

Anywho the challenge for this month at Bizzy Bec's is easy peasy....Circles!!!
Now you can have circle shapes, circles on your paper, buttons, circle pearls...circles where ever...just as long as we can see them!!

I have created a circle card with a circle tag and my paper has circles on it.  See easy peasy!!!

i have used the image 'Birthday Balloon' from the Blue Butterfly Birthday images exclusive to Bizzy Bec's Store

Time for a Christmas hop.....

Well i'm pretty sure this is the first Magnolia-licious Christmas All Year Long Blog Hop that I have joined in with this year...sad I know but my Maggies have unfortunately taken a bit of a back seat of late with all my DT work i have been doing and family time has taken a bit of a premium too.
Anywho with the arrival of my Fall kit and the yummy new Christmas MAggies in my hands I just had to join in this time.  I actually think this is the first one back after a summer hiatus anyways.

So if you have found your way here from Glendas blog you are on the right track!

i have used Ribbon Tilda, snowflake stamp (which is a bit hard to see) and title stamp from the new Sweet Christmas Dreams collection. I have kept my card really simple as I learnt from last year the bulky ones cost a fortune to post!!  LOL 

Tilda is coloured with copics.

the paper is My Minds Eye Lost and Found Christmas 6x6 pad.

Next on the hop is Monique's blog.

Thanks for stopping by and I hope you enjoy the hop!!

A stitch here and there...

Well when I had the day off unexpectedly the other day i actually managed to get some crafting stuff done...yay!!  Felt so good.
Here is one of the things I managed to get done...a card for the Saturated Canary Challenge which this time round is asking for stitching.  Now my stitching is faux stitching as the sewing machine is in the other room and yada yada yada I couldnt be bothered going to get it lol....but its stitching none the less.

Can I scare you...?

No I'm not talking halloween I'm talking Christmas.

Did you know that as of this very minute its 64 days until Chistmas!! True!!!

OMG... *faints*!!!

Have you got your christmas cards happening?? under control even?

If not why not drop by Bizzy Bec's wonderful shop and get yourself some of the new Christmas images that are available from Blue Butterfly Stamps.

I have used Nick with presents to create this card.

Boys allowed.....

come on girls even if we get a bit of boys cooties on us this week boys are allowed...actually only the boys are allowed this week at Tickled Pink Stamps Challenge!!

Yes the theme this week is ..umm...Masculine...lol.  In typical Tickled Pink style...lol

I made this card for my hubby's bday.  His bday was actually last week but as he has been away working he wasnt home so he is now  :)  Gave me a bit more time to get a card made as well because..umm..dont tell him..but i forgot...whoops!!!  Not his bday just to make the card!!   LOL

I do find it so hard not to prettify a males card...do you??

Anyways I hope you come join us this week!

Its a girly pearly type of thing..

happening over at Bizzy Bec's Blog Challenge this month.
Yes we want to see girls and pearls on your creations!!!   So easy peasy with all the wonderful girly images out there and pearls...well who doesnt have the biggest stash of pearls somewhere ...lol

I have used one of the wonderful new images from CC designs Laugh Lines which are available in Bizzy Bec's shop Here.  And the really cool thing is that they currently have 30% off!!  Yes a massive 30%...OMG!!!   My pearls even though tiny are actually liquid pearls.  Only because it was a challenge to myself to use them.  never had much luck with them before but think I have now mastered the art...lol

Image was coloured using Copics,

and I have used 2 Magnolia doohickey dies and some cream tasseled ribbon all available from bizzy Bec's wonderful shop.

its a snow WHITE kind of day....

Ok so blogger isnt playing nice yet again....not sure why I keep staying with them other than the fact that I'm too lazy to change to something else....lol.  One day they play nice the next they dont....Grrr!!!  Lead you into a false sense of security then WHAM pull the rug out from under your feet yet again.

o well soldier on and just grin and bear it hey!!!

Yes its me back with another Tickled Pink Stamp Challenge!!   It felt so weird not doing a creation for last week but because it was the 'newbies' first time I thought I would let them have their time in the sun..but man o man it sure did feel weird!!
But this week I am back with us..umm....established team...lol  (not calling us Oldies I feel Old enough..lol).   and we have a fabulous challenge for you this week.

WHITE on WHITE.

yep those cards where everything is white although you are allowed to colour the image!  Yay!!
I love this theme as the creations always look so clean and fresh and timeless.  Such an elegance to them.

i have used a WOJ border die, a TH embossing folder, white lace and a MTF flower die.

Pretty simple.

So now its your turn to jump on in and show us what you can do with this fabbo theme.

O and dont forget we are now using random.org to pick the winner...yay!!!!

And remember Tickled Pink Images only!!!!

Please meet Miss Raven....

I have had a play with some of Blue butterfly Stamps new images. this is Raven Goth Girl and you can find her in store here. isnt she awesome!! I have made this card to send to my friend in the US for halloween. I really wish we celebrated Halloween a bit more here in Australia. Any excuse to eat candy!! LOL

I have used copics to colour Raven in with and the paper is by BAsic Grey and is from a 6x6 pad.

Have you seen all the new wonderful 6x6 Pads that Bizzy Bec has in store. Such gorgeous papers out there. Go have a looksy you wont be disappointed!!

Just one of those days....

Dont you hate it when you have those days that no matter what you do and what you touch it all just goes batcrap??  Sorry but no other way of putting it without totally swearing!
Well today is one of those days!!
But i wont bother you with those dramas as I am sure you are here to find out what the new challenge is over at Tickled Pink Stamps Challenge.
Well this week we have a great theme for you all....WINTER!!!   Easy peasy Japanesy!!
Now if you want to avert looking at a disaster you might want to turn away now and go and look at the AMAZING work of all my fellow DTers to gain some form of inspiration as I am sure my card will not spark your creativeness.
Its just another one of those things today which has gone either totally wrong or nowhere near how I intended it to be.
I wasnt going to actually share it with you all but I thought I would as I know people like to look at tragedy no matter how bad it is...lol
So here it is......sigh!  LOL

I wish you could see how it should have looked but that image is still in my head and not made from paper lol

o well i'm sure you all will create something wonderful so lets see it!!

Just wanting to share my other passion with you all

My other passion...well one of many lol is photography.  i am no pro but a long shot but I do like to dabble so this post is going to be quite heavy with some recent photos.
A friend of mine recently had a baby and I asked if i could take some photos of her sweet bubba.  Its always something i had wanted to do and never had a really decent camera when mine were this little.  Sweet MacKenna is 3 weeks old and he was the most perfect bubba.  Slept the whole time and almost let me do anything with him, except he insisted on having his arm out almost all ofthe time...lol
Here are a few of my favourites.

And here are a few of my tinlids from this weekend when we went to look at a friends old trucks that they had recently acquired.

Choices choices choices....

Wow this week has been a week of choices I can tell you!!  So much going on and so little time.  Same ol same ol I tell you.
And guess what this week over at Tickled Pink Stamps Challenge its all about choices as well.  Yes you can choose between three wonderful challenges but you must tell us which one you are picking ok.

1. Buttons & twine

2. Lace & patterned paper

3. Chipboard & dstressing

How does that sound?

Fun right?

REMEMBER to use an image from the Tickled Pink Stamps Line on your project!

What can you win? Up for grabs we have....1 DIGITAL Stamp of your choice!

I Have used Patterned paper and lace...how could I not...two of my favourite things  :)

I paper pieced her dress and love how it turned out.  A bit fiddly around the bodice but all good :)

Its a ripper.....

of a challenge that is this week at Tickled Pink Stamps Challenge.
Yes we want you to RIP something...now you can interpret this in many a ways and we would love to see it when you do!
You can actually rip something like your cardboard, paper, image etc. etc OR you can interpret this as R.I.P something...............which is suitable considering the whole lot of Spinks & Spooks collection (Lil Lad & Pinkettes) are available for purchase at the Tickled Pink Stamps Store RIGHT NOW until Oct 31 !!
Wowsers and its DIGI week this week so I hope to see lots of new images too, or you can just use your favourite Tickled pink image its up to you!
I have used the gorgeous new Lil Victorian Xmas Lolita Ivy...isnt she uber cute and I love her coat..wow!

I have used the yummy new Kaisercraft December 25th 6x6 papers and that tag is actually a metal gift tag I brought last xmas from our local Kmart.

yes its an actual proper gift tag that was meant for a present...lol

Ahh nothing like recycling!   LOL

Ok so now its your turn...go forth and create!

Chippie chippie chippie...

No I'm not doing a re-run of the Gobbledok (lol who is old enough to remember that!!) I am talking chippie chippie Chipboard!!!
Thats the theme this week at Tickled Pink Stamps Challenge.  Another great easy one as I am sure we all have some chipboard floating around the place somewhere!!  Now in my scrapbooking daze I was never a big fan of it...unfortunately...lol.  So I really dont have a great lot of it.  i have some nice laser cut wood bits that i have..umm..'collected' lately but thats not really chipboard ..is it??
Anywho I managed to find this small bird I first covered him in paper but he didnt stand out enough, so i flipped him over so you can see the nekkid version in all his brown glory...lol.

i have also used the wonderous new Lil Victorian Christmas Lad Scrooge Damon.....ooo doesnt he really look like he is saying BAH HUMBUG!!  I love him!!!   Bwahahahahaha!!!!

Paper is from the super yummy new KAiser christmas collection 'December 25th"....it has some yummy xmas papers in it!!  DAmon is coloured with copics and the sentiment was a freebie from Create with TLC.