Yes - Life is good ...

I must admit I really like doing boy pages.  I am forever grateful I have both a girl and a boy to do pages for but my baby girl is now 19 and while I do still produce layouts for her and have a number of photographs from years back to still use, I find I am getting less and less actual photographs of her.  She's much more reluctant to pose for me and I don't see her "doing" as many things as I once did.  My boy on the other hand is still letting me take pictures and I am able to scrap him to my hearts content.


This month on Scrap the Boys we were asked to produce a layout with the title LIFE IS GOOD.  We were also asked to included handwritten journaling and to have the colour red feature on our layout.

Let's 123 ...

123 challenge blog had an very interesting set of criteria this month using metallic blue as a colour, 123 as words and something organic as an embellishment.  It was certainly one to think on.  Eventually I decided to use a metallic blue glimmer mist on kraft cardstock and to sew 100% cotton thread onto my page. I also painted the glimmer mist directly onto the letters in the word Downtown to make them standout more and it gives them a nice shimmery effect.  I'm pleased with how the page came out.

Scrap Jacked March ...

There is some sensational March inspiration over on Scrap Jacked.  In fact so many inspirational layouts it was difficult to make a decision on which one to base my layout this month.  In the end I choose this lovely page by Bec.

I actually rotated Bec's original layout and used a landscape 6x4 but kept her "Love" title.  I'm really happy with this bright , happy homage to young love.

Another challenge ...

This month Kraft It Up has a 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 challenge.

1 Piece of Kraft Cardstock or Patterned Paper
2 Photos of any size
3 3 word title
4 different pieces of patterned paper and
5 different embellishments


I decided to go relatively simple with this one and use up some scraps pieces from a kit which I was reluctant to throw out as I loved the My Mind's Eye papers so much.  I have all criteria covered.

Retreat time ....

I make no apologies - I love retreats.  Spending a couple of days doing what I love with people I like is as close to nirvana as I can currently get. 

Last weekend I enjoyed some quality "me" time here.....

scrapping, eating, drinking and having time with friends.  It was pure bliss.  I managed to complete 28 layouts which was amazing since I really have not done a lot of personal scrapping this year.  I came home not only refreshed in spirit but with a reinvigorated scrapping mojo.  Did I say I liked retreats!!

Happy St Pat's ...

Since it's St Patrick's Day I can't let the day go past without a good old fashioned Irish joke.






A new priest at his first mass was so nervous he couldn't stand still. He asked Father Murphy for some advice. Father Murphy replied, "When I'm worried about gettin' nervous on the pulpit, I take a wee bit o' whiskey. Just to calm my nerves."

So the next Sunday he took the older priest's advice. Before the mass, he got nervous and took a drink. He then proceeded to talk up a storm.

Upon return to his office after mass, he found the following note on his door: 

1. A few sips of whiskey. Not the whole bottle.
2. There are 10 commandments, not 12.
3. There are 12 disciples, not 10.
4. Jesus was consecrated, not constipated.
5. Jacob wagered his donkey, he did not bet his ass.
6. We do not refer to Jesus Christ as the late J.C.
7. The Father, Son, and Holy Ghost are not referred to as Senior, Junior, and the Spook.
8. David slew Goliath, he did not kick the shit out of him.
9. When David was hit by a rock and knocked off his donkey, don't say "He was stoned off his ass."
10. We do not refer to the cross as the Big T!
11. When Jesus broke the bread at the Last Supper he said, "Take this and eat it, for it is my body"; he did not say, Eat me."
12. The Virgin Mary is not referred to as the, "Mary with the Cherry".
13. The recommended grace before a meal is not: "Rub-A-dub-dub, thanks for the grub, yea God"
14. Next Sunday there will be a taffy-pulling contest at St. Patrick's, not a patrick-pulling contest at St. Taffy's.

March ARTastic ...

Another month and another challenge on ARTastic.  

This month we are visiting inspiration from Ken Done - a quint essential Aussie icon with his work Chinamen's Beach.  Added criteria is palm trees or palm leaves, photo taken at the beach and 2 or 3 beach embellishments.

We have some truly amazing layouts to share with you on the ARTastic blog so hop on over and have a look.

I've done a digital layout inspired by the blue, lime and yellow tones of the painting and tried to capture the laid back feel of the beach.


Hope you can join in the fun this month with us - I'd love to see what you come up with for this challenge.


I'm also going to add my friend Di Trasler's layout Pretty Beach here as she doesn't have a blog and I've offered to host this for her.

Not enough and too much time on my hands ...

These past few months I feel like my mojo has not only taken leave - it has left the country altogether.  I just don't seem to find enough hours in the day to get done what I need to do and my scrapping has taken not only a back seat, I think it has been sent around the corner and half way down the block!!


I just wonder how other people manage to get it all done - wish I knew the secret, I truly do.  I have SO much I want to get done and I am constantly pushing it get just the day to day stuff out of the way.  Guess it doesn't help that I am on the road for two hours every day doing the school run over and back and I also have another 8 or hours a week basically waiting at squad swimming or tuition for ds.  The only positive in this apart from the enjoyment and improvement my son gets from the activities he undertakes is that I get to read --- a lot!!  I average some 2 books a week, sometimes more, depending on how exciting the read is and how many pages it contains.


My latest book was Misery Bay by Steve Hamilton -  I've been a long time fan of Mr Hamilton and eagerly awaited his latest "Alex McKnight" mystery.  It was worth the wait.  Steve Hamilton is good, really good at what he does.  It's not flashy or forced - he doesn't use any gimmicks, just plain honest writing and a riveting storyline.  Misery Bay was excellent, a total page turner and with enough atmosphere you could cut it with a knife.  Can't wait for the next exciting installment.