Scrapjacked for February ...

I'm amazed I managed to get some personal scrapping in this month and I was able to play along with Scrapjacked.  I've always liked the way this challenge blog is set up - the talented design team submit some inspirational layouts and you choose one (or more) to inspire you to create your own.


This month I was torn between what I thought was a very good idea and a layout I really liked as a sketch basis for my own - so what does any goodcscrapper do in a situation like this?   Yep, I did them both!!


Firstly I very much liked Mandy's concept of using a song to highlight a layout about cycling.



I knew I had the perfect pictures for such a page - a whole series of vintage shots of my Father-in-law back in the UK in the 1950's when he was a competing cyclist. I couldn't go past Queen for my song choice.

Then I liked the layout by Jeanenne and borrowed her basic layout and even her subject matter in part to create my own.

When the Olympic team came to town ...

The New Zealand Olympic swim squad have been in Gosford for the last week swimming at Gosford Pool. Chris has had Olympic swimmers going up and down in the lane next to him. They go back to NZ tomorrow so at the end of their training session this afternoon they had a meet and greet for the kids and took questions and we had some pictures taken with them.  What a nice bunch!!

Very pretty papers ...

I’ve been following along with a number of websites/blogs who have been highlighting what has come out at CHA this past week, have you?  Shimelle has a series of blog posts with great previews of most of the manufacturers new releases.  Have to say the products have been amazing. There are at least 10 line releases that I can only call divine. 


Like this one by My Mind's Eye or these (below) from Echo Park.





Or how about this little gem from Cosmo Cricket.




 Aghhhhh - if only I knew then what I know now I would have done my purchasing SO very differently.

Taking over ARTastic ...

I'm totally delighted to now be in charge of this wonderful little challenge blog ARTastic.  My mind has been abuzz with ideas to bring to this site and for the past few hours I have been  busy deleting this and adding that - moving this here and putting that there.  It has been so much fun trying to make the site fresh and welcoming but without taking away from what the place was.

The next few months are going to be wonderful as I implement new ideas and make a few changes to how things are run.  So far much of what I have done is cosmetic but hopefully given time there will be some improvements. My aim this year is to boost participation and grow this site.  Wish me luck.