Today

Today this is a few of the things I have been doing.
Made some shortbread biscuits, I brought the shape cutters a few years ago and have been threatening to make them ever since, so finally I have! Hubby gave them the tick of approval so yay, as cooking is not really my thing. I always have good intentions, and I would love to be a fabulous cook, but I don't really like to do it much. 

I thought the reflection in the Xmas ball was pretty cool. When I had finished I discovered the Xmas tree shape on the bench that I  had intended to use. I was going to cover them with green icing and add smarties for baubles...... Oh well next year.


I have also been working on a gift for a friend, so here is a sneak pic

I hope she is going to like it.


And a find that made me smile 

 look what I found for $5.00 at BigW the other day. I just had to buy it, hubby couldn't understand why. Why! well back in the day I LOVED  this movie, I thought Ryan O'Neil was so handsome and Ali McGraw so beautiful and oh the scene when they were being snow angels and the line from the movie When Ali Says "Love means never having to say your Sorry"  I mean to say how could he not understand why I had to have it, geez
Now I am going to get my DT layout done for over at ScrapThatSong,  http://scrapthatsong.blogspot.com/  There is still time for you to join in this month and we would love to see your take on one of the fabulous songs to choose from.
Nicole just dropped me off a couple of crafters templates from craftqueen  http://www.craftqueen.com.au/ so I am going to have a play with them.
So what have you been up to today?


Cheers
Mary x

A Bond From The Heart

Morning people,

The layout I am sharing today is a layout for a challenge over at ScrapSanity http://scrapsanity.com.au/ The criteria to scrap a photo and tell the story. My journalling is hidden but it says ~

"Dad and Lewis seemed to have a special bond. This is Xmas 2006 & sadly was to be Dads last Xmas. Lewis and Dad always shook hands when greeting and saying goodbye."

I accidentally came across this pic which was on a disc my son gave me and it was one of those special finds.

My nephew is disabled and He and Dad seemed to have this connection, so yep its a special pic, one of those moments captured by the camera that at the time everyone was just going about the day, but now is so very special.

The lovely Fliss Wilson http://herhand.blogspot.com/ sent me the most gorgeous package of goodies and I have used them to create this page, thank you Fliss you were so kind. The flowers were also a gift from the lovely Kim  http://lifeisabalancingactx8.blogspot.com/ The Chippy Frame is from Scrapmatts.

I have scrapped it in A4 as I am doing a Xmas Album for the year 2006

A couple of closies

I just would like to wish you all a Very Magical, Joyful Christmas and Everything Good in the New Year . Thank you also for popping by my blog , I really do appreciate your comments, they make my day.

HAPPY CHRISTMAS :)

Cheers

Mary x

Beautiful Friends

I am so lucky that through what started out as a hobby and quickly turned into an obsession I have met and made the most beautiful friends. Two ladies live in the same town as me and we quickly established a beautiful friendship. 
Yesterday we got together (which is a little hard to organise sometimes with work etc) . We went out to the Mountain Tea House for our Chrissy get together. Annette Picked me up at ll.30 and dropped me home at 5.30! We had a lovely day , the only mishap being Annette's car loosing it's antler , cough Kim! hehehe Never mind it is now a unique little one antler reindeer car.
Now Miss Annette would have to been the most thoughtful lady I know, she organised for Julie Winks http://thewinksplace.blogspot.com/ to do a layout for Kim for Christmas. It is a truly special gift and as always just amazingly beautiful. We all sighed and awed and ahhhrrred  and there were tears.

What could this be ?

OMG OMG

Love the happiness

Don't think Kim can believed  it

Yep its true, I think there is some tears of happiness happening there

Sorry you can't see the layout in the pic, trust me it is BEAUTIFUL. It is a layout of Kim and her hubby.

Isn't the gift of friendship the best thing :)
AND Annette and Kim gave me a wall decal of the Eiffel Tower, can't imagine why :) I think Annette is secretly trying to drive my husband nuts, you see being in the gyprock business, one thing he hates is putting things on the wall & he's not to fond of putting Xmas lights up...... Annette has given me heaps of lights hehehehe. He must like her though , as she is still getting in the front door.

Talking about front door's, Lisa Warren http://www.lifeasweknowit-blog.com/ decorated her front entrance, and it inspired me to do something with mine. The tree is a little piddly, but never mind , it makes the entrance more festive and I didn't want to spend to much.

Interesting teacups out at the mountain teahouse

Annette reckons this is a giraffe pulling a cart......right, never seen that before, but hey

If a Teacup can be in a tree....

So no layouts to share today, just beautiful friends and the joy some ones thoughtfulness can bring along with one very talented ladies work . As you can see Julie http://thewinksplace.blogspot.com/ your layout was just perfect. And to top the day off, Kim gave Annette and myself a gift voucher to spend at Craftqueen http://www.craftqueen.com.au/ , so..... we had to go SHOPPING ! :)
Wishing you all such people in your lives 
Cheers
Mary x

Celebrate the Season

Hello lovely people,

Today I am sharing a layout that Julie Winks http://thewinksplace.blogspot.com/  set over at The Boxx http://www.theboxx.scrapboxx.com/. The Criteria to scrap about a Celebration. I have chosen to scrap about the Celebration of putting our Christmas Tree up as a Family. We always put our tree up on the 6th of Dec, as it is our DD's Birthday and we have a family dinner and then put the tree up together. This year our DD couldn't be home , but never the less we still keep the tradition. We still had a Birthday Cake, we rang her mobile and all sang Happy Birthday to her ( so hope that put a smile on her face when she got the message) Jedd blew the candles out  and her Brothers cut the cake. The pic is of My two Grandchildren and myself putting Chelsea's Christmas Ball on the tree. I made us all our own Christmas Ball , including Scruffy.

I have used Webster's "Winter Wonderland" Collection PP, as well as some Kaisercraft PP, Kaisercraft saying, hand made flower with ribbon from the lovely Susan, Little flower & cream flower  from Craftqueen http://www.craftqueen.com.au/,  some hessian and muslin. And the beautiful sparkly bow treasure from my Mum's stuff ( I just had to include it) Stamped some stars on transparency and some messy stitching. Balancing ballerina stamp from MMI, Criss Crossy stamp ~ Kaisercraft. Brick stamp~ Prima , Crafters Template for some little dots down the side with Gesso. Hat pin from Tattered Inspirations http://tatteredinspirations.blogspot.com/

and a closie

some pics from the night

My Grandson Jedd and his Mum make a start

My Middle Son Christopher and Jedd

having some fun

Joe is always in charge of the lights

Jedd always puts the Nativity scene together


Scruffy with his Xmas Ball

Amelia, Christopher and Joe, like to think of unique ways to hang their Xmas Balls

and then Victor trys to out do them

Brothers cutting the B'day cake (bit slack this year, just brought a sponge) which Christopher pointed out looks like a big Cheese Burger in the pic.

Putting the Xmas Star on the top

Our Gran daughter Amelia and the middle son, putting the Angel on, that I made when I was a young girl

The tree in all its glory

Jedd blowing out the B'day Candles

If you are still with me , you  have done well. So I have shared a little of our Christmas Celebration with you.

Wishing You and Yours a wonderful, magical Christmas

Hugs

Mary x

The Dress Annette and Kim picked for me

A few weeks ago the Kim, Annette and myself had a lovely girly day at Bathurst. We visited a Scrap Shop, had lunch and shopped. A really lovely day. Now I am quite fond of Target and had a few dresses in my hand to try on , to which Annette ( not one to mix her words) told me they looked like curtain Material ( I think I am stuck in the 70's , in my hippy days) anyway I said I liked them and went and tried them on...... they looked like crap!
Next thing Annette and Kim handed some dresses over the door and said "try these on". I would never have picked these myself, but to keep them happy I obliged , and guess what ... .. they were right. This is what I ended up buying

Annette thought it was a little "Audrey Hepburn", looks like I might have to take them shopping with me all the time, as I obviously need help.

We had a fun day, and I like my dress, thanks Annette and Kim :)

Hope you are all having a great weekend, just a quick post, its late and I should have been in bed hours ago.

Hugs

Mary x

So this is Christmas

The new song choices are up over at STS http://scrapthatsong.blogspot.com/ The DT have come up with some fabulous songs and awesome Layouts. We would love you to join us and show us YOUR take on our song choices.
I have chose John Lennon's Song " So this is Christmas".  I love it and I always think of it at Christmas Time and then can't get it out of my head.

I have used Websters PP ~ Home for the Holiday's "Mistletoe Kisses", Old lace that was actually on my going away top on my wedding day. Little flowers & twine are from Craftqueen http://www.craftqueen.com.au/ ,  I painted the little gold one in the right hand corner with Tattered Angel Glimmer Glaze, some muslin of course. A gold button I covered myself :) Alpha's are gorgeous, sparkly alpha's ~Dear Lizzy + American Craft Thickers

and the song

So I am wishing You all a very Happy Xmas and all things good in the New Year.

Hugs

Mary x

THOSE WERE THE DAYS MY FRIEND

Hello lovely people,

This layout I did for the challenge over at craftqeen http://www.craftqueen.com.au/ Criteria ~ Stamping and pink ribbon. Lucky I had the pink ribbon on there, because I thought it was just use pink! The stamping is in the right hand corner,  lovely little French Darkroom door stamps from Craftqueen, the spotty buttons are also from Craftqueen, as it the rosette, which I inked pink. The little pink flower is also from Craftqueen, see I was trying to make it Pink! I am still using the Kaiser Bonjour Range which I just love.
When I was scrapping these pics of My bestie and me, mucking around in a photo Boothe on the Central Coast way back when ,sigh, The Mary Hopkins song "Those were the days my friend, we thought they would never end , we'd sing and dance for ever and a day" popped into my head. They were very good days indeed.

And a couple of closies

Thanks so much for popping by, I love to get your feedback. No Random Fact today, have to go visit my Mum.
You still have time to enter the challenge at http://scrapthatsong.blogspot.com/ we would really love you to join us. There is a list of fantastic songs to choose from.

Wishing you Fabulous Days

Hugs
Mary x

REMEMBER

The lovely Leanne Allison http://leanneallinson.blogspot.com/ has set a challenge over at the Boxx http://www.theboxx.scrapboxx.com/ to do more journalling on our layouts and has given tips. The first tip being using a word as a prompt. The word "Remember" , so I have scrapped a layout about how its about creating happy memories that is the important thing in life for me. Not sure if I am happy with my layout, It really was not working for me, but I decided to stick with it. Muslin and flowers can fix anything right? well that's my theory. Still not sure if I
am happy with it, but hey its another memory or memories scrapped so that's the important thing. And as Leanne Jago  http://addictedtoclouds.blogspot.com/ says, its the good, the bad and the ugly .

I also did this layout using the sketch at Get Picky for the month of November http://getpicky.blogspot.com/2011/11/november-sketch-challenge-14.html

 Oh better put the layout up

and a closie

The flowers are from Craftqueen http://craftqueenaus.blogspot.com/ ,Collections PP "Printery" ,Chippy frames are Scrapmatts.

Now for my Random Fact ~ You can leave now if this is boring you to tears or stay if you want to get to know me a little better

Random flash card I have drawn today "Most Memorable dining experience" Hmmm well I have lots, I think every time you share a meal with friends its a memorable dining experience. But the one I will choose is when we were at Patmos in the Greek Islands. We were staying at our friends Mums house and their Auntie and Uncle live up the hill. They had never met us before, but they are the most welcoming and generous people I have ever met and made our time there truly special. Every night Mary and John insisted we have dinner with them. Let me tell you Mary is the BEST cook ever. They live a very simple life, but are so happy and generous. We would waddle back down the hill every night so full we thought we would burst, as they would keep loading up our plates . We loved sitting around their dining room table every night talking and laughing. What made this dining experience memorable ~ Mary & John. We so loved our time spent on Patmos because of them.

Wishing you sunshine and smiles and please let me know you called by

Hugs
Mary x

Grateful

The Challenge at Once Upon A Sketch http://onceuponasketchblog.blogspot.com/ at the moment is to do a layout about Yourself or a Female in your life. I have done a layout about my Best friend of over 30 years. We met at Tafe and have been friends ever since. I am so grateful that Leanne came into my life and she certainly has helped me be the person I am today. We had so many good times when we were young and carefree. She could make me laugh until I could hardly breathe. As the years have gone on we have shared all the ups and downs of life. I know that she is always there for me, will listen to all my ramblings, always says just the right thing and make things seem not nearly as bad as I am imaging (yep I'm the drama queen).  She knows all there is to know about me, I can and do, tell her everything. She knows my secrets, my joys, my fears, my history. I thank God for sending her to me way back when.

I have hidden journalling that is slotted in the side of the pic. The journalling says ~ God knew I needed a friend like you . My life would not have been near as Happy. You can make me laugh till my stomach hurts. We have had some fun times. You know all there is to know about me. I can talk to you about anything and you always give me good advice. You Balance me. You are caring , funny and simply the Best Friend ever.

A closie

I have used Kaiser Bonjour Range of PP, very wet and cloudy here today, so not such a great day for taking pics.
No Random Fact today, as I think I have told you a little about myself with this post anyway, about how I have the best friend in the world and how we met.
Wishing you Sunshine and smiles and don't forget to visit Scrapthatsong Blog http://scrapthatsong.blogspot.com/ and join in on this months challenge

Cheers
Mary x
PS I love to receive some blog loving

Once Upon A Sketch is having a GiveAway

Pop over to http://onceuponasketchblog.blogspot.com/ for your chance to win A Pack Of Melissa Francis Products....... Yummo!


How gorgeous is that. I LOVE  Melissa Francis Products. So good luck everyone and while there why not join in on the Challenge


Wishing you a day filled with sunshine and smiles


Mary x

Santa Pic

Hello lovey people,

Just wanted to share a layout I made using MME PP's.
Found this pic of when I was a little girl, check out the hair do, special hair do for picture with Santa, its always a big deal the old Santa pic. I'm pretty sure my dress was pink from memory and the white knee high socks with the lace top, gotta love it.

and a bit of a closie

flowers are from craftqueen http://www.craftqueen.com.au/ button from the boxx http://www.theboxx.scrapboxx.com/ and Word Chippie is Paper Inklings .

Next random flash card...... My first job ~ well besides cherry picking which I have done since I was quite young as my Aunt and Uncle owned a orchard, my first job was at Woolworths, back then it was a big variety store. I was still at school , so would work after school and on Saturdays. You know I loved that job. I remember Mum knitted me a black cardigan that I loved and we wore white tops, black skirts with black stockings and black shoes and I really loved my uniform. I have worn a lot of black and white over the years , as when my children were little I waitress ed. I got to the point I hated black and white uniforms.
So what was your first job?
Have you ever started something and wondered why? This afternoon I decided to put my stereo in my scrapbooking room instead of the lounge room, as I spend most of my time in my scrapbooking room and now I can listen to all my old LPs (yep the vinyls) but.... now I have rearranged my scrap room , the lounge room, and I have things everywhere, pulled all the books out of the bookcase to move it and dust behind (it was a bit of a disgrace behind there let me tell you). So you start to think why did I ever start this, but it will be worth it when I have everything back together and all clean and shiny

Wishing you sunshine and smiles
Mary x