a great idea....

This book by Shona Cole looks very interesting...how to be a mum and be creative...As another blogger Trudy put it...I have this deep desire in me to create; but as a busy momma, it is so difficult to find the time; but yet so needed. I do not wish to wait until my children are grown. I would like to live the life of an artistic mother before my children and in turn spark their creativity as well.

I know I get grumpy and grizzly if all I do is kids stuff and cooking and cleaning and so on...I am happy to be a mum...and I love being a mum...but I need to be creative too...If I am lucky I might win this book...but if not I think I will head to Fishpond and buy it! Lissy

hot hot hot...

It is a long weekend here in WA...I have no idea what it is for...lol...and although autumn officially starts tomorrow it is HOT HOT HOT here!

We went out for tea last night in East Perth with mum...and then Evangeline had a sleep over at her house...it sure was a hot summer night...Evangeline was so sweet when she got home....she wanted to go and wake Morganne to say hello!

It has also been very windy...a hot horrible easterly wind...but it was good for one thing...Evangeline has been wanting a kite and I found one for $5 a few weeks ago...so today she got to try it out...but then would you know it after about 5 mins the wind died down...but she had a bit of fun anyway and we shall try again tomorrow...
Ben's parent came for a visit today as his dad came to help him move a few of the old tractors my dad restored to be loaded on the truck Tuesday to go to the farm...

And look more cleaning...I mean scrapping...in case you are wondering I am a very fast scrapper...I pick my photos, grab paper I think works, slap it down,add a title, journalling and maybe some embellishments and then move onto the next one...Occasionally I want to scrap the same photo for both girls...as you can see these are the same layout with a few minor differences...mainly because I only had one sheet of each patterned paper and not enough letters the same...
So maybe I shall get some more done tonight or tomorrow...Lissy

how to scrap book and clean at the same time...

Well who would have thought that the two would go together....lol...

I made rather a mess on my scrap bench while preparing the classes for the retreat...and doing Morganne's birthday albums...so it needs to be cleaned up...boring!

And I am trying to clear out old supplies too...

So I came up with a much more fun method of cleaning up....lol...

I have started scrapping using what's on my bench...lots of nice new papers...some scraps and some older stuff...

And using some old lettering such as the Heidi Swapp ghost letters and plastic letters and decorative felt stuff and such too...

OK so it is rather a slow, non productive way to clean up but it is much more fun!

Most of the photos I printed off months ago so I am trying to scrap them before I print some more!

Here is what I have done so far...purely to aid my clean up of course...lol...


So back to my cleaning! Lots to do! Lissy

first one...

Well the first dugite has turned up...in the pool area...which is fully enclosed...and we often go out there in bare feet...Ben nearly trod on it going for a swim but it was already dead so I am guessing the cats got it...

Ben thinks it was under the door mat as the cats were fussing around there and it looks rather flat...late February and early March we get lots of young snakes around the house...so the kids are on "snake alert"...shoes on!It is still very hot here...40 - 42C over the last few days here in the Valley...and a hideous hot easterly wind...so we are swimming...I got a new book for Evangeline... Ed Emberley's Drawing Book of Faces ...She is doing some great faces from it! And M is very interested too! Don't you love the roller skates while drawing look!I have been grumpy....lol...so decided to cheers myself up by doing something creative...I finished Morganne's first birthday album...And did a quick layout of photos I took the other morning...
Morganne is sleeping...Ben and E are watching Barbie and the 3 Musketeers...lol...so I am going to scrap some more! Lissy

did you notice...

Did you notice my new flash looking blog...I have needed an update for ages...and Sharon kindly helped me by doing it...as I have no idea about these things! THANKS Sharon! Looks good doesn't it...I gave into updating my photo too...lol...the other one was nearly five years old...and so yes we need to move on! And now Morganne is on the top too!

My girls are not good sleepers....Morganne wakes a couple of times a night and Evangeline does sometimes too...and so last night this was the result....yes...in bed with me!It is going to be hideously hot here today....42C or more...so we are trying to stay cool! Lissy

cards...and other things...

I am not a card maker and have made some really bad ones in the past...lol...but I made one for my good friend Jen's 40th...I looked around on the internet for some inspiration and it actually turned out decent...lol...well I think she liked it!We went to the Pony Club in Mt Lawley to celebrate her birthday Friday night and had delicious tapas...

Everything else came to a grinding halt here Saturday...last week was busy busy busy...and so were were all very tired...so not much happened...other than some very excting loads of washing!!!

Ben arrived home from Manila Saturday morning at about 7.30 am ...

Evangeline had a "sleep over party" Saturday evening...though they were not actually staying the night but going with PJs, bears and sleeping bags! She had a ball!

I went to catch up with my mum's groups for dinner Saturday night...we went to a Lebanese restaurant in Vic Park called Ellie's Tent...it was fabulous! I will definitely go again...

Ben and the girls played SNAP! on Sunday morning...Evangeline loves it...Morganne had a go too! And pulled lots of funny faces...
And we went to Simona's Sunday for lunch and a swim and such...so that was fun...and after all that in one weekend I had to go to bed at 7.30 pm on Sunday night!

Ben was at home shifting ploughs etc as this morning a crane came to load more ploughs onto the truck to go to the farm. These are the old ploughs my dad restored and we are going to set them all up in a shed at the farm...Ben's parents were here too and Morganne had a ball watching...So it was a busy weekend for us! And this week looks busy too...Lissy

Wave Rock...

in case you didn't know....

Wave Rock Scrapbooking Retreat

is happening again!


in Hyden, Western Australia


26th - 28th March 2010

This is the 10th retreat...so I think Karen has a few celebrations organised!

Sharon Manning and I are tutoring...

Contact Karen Smith at scrappinoutback@bigpond.com
or call 0427 977 672, 98805300 or 98805761
for more details

I love going to the retreat...the company is great and I even get some scrapping done! Oh and the shop is always full of scrapbooking goodies!

Be seeing you all soon - Lissy

felting and creating...

I have decided that February is my Creative Month...

Last month was dedicated to clearing out the house and I did a LOT...there is still lots to go...but I had to have a break...lol...it was doing my head in! I am a messy creative hoarder by nature and although my inner clean neat minimalist self has been trying to get out there is only so much I can do...lol...

So this month I have been creating...YAY!!! Plus it helps that Ben is home for me to handball parenting duties too!

I have created layouts for three classes for the Wave Rock Retreat in March...

And layouts for term time at Scrappin' Outback...so if you are heading into Hyden to scrap, Karen will have some of my classes there for you to do!

And then today I went to a toy making class with Emily at Silver Tree...I am so glad she invited me along...I had FUN!

Morganne came along and had Yindi and another little girl to play with in a lovely shady playground right out the window of where we were working...

It was dry felting taught by Nicole...I had never tried it before...my creations lack finesse but I love them...an angel for each of my girls...

And some birds to make a baby mobile for a friend's little bub due mid year...they kept blowing around in the breeze but you get the idea! They are actually looking rather cute hanging in the window in the playroom... Next week is wet felting...I think we are making a cute little gnome or baby like this ....And I'd love to go and make a doll like this... And look at some of the other amazing things Nicole makes...all from felt wool stuff....And I have done a couple of other things over the weekend...A birthday album for Morganne's Rainbow Party...And a layout of her actual birthday...But never fear I am actually still working on the de cluttering...I am in the play room this week...

I have cleared most of it out and I am going to make some tough decisions over toys...we have far to many and some of it is very commercial stuff...and there is stuff they do not play with...and baby toys...

I prefer my girls to use their creativity to play...and they mostly do....so the other stuff needs to go!

Plus if I keep toy making they will have some fabulous new things to play with! Lissy

valentine's day...

Ben has headed off to Manila today for a week...so we had coffee and cake at the airport! I hid a card in his suitcase!Evangeline and Morganne went adventuring this morning...they were "hunting"...Evangeline made Morganne a Valentine's Card...I made her a heart garland for her bed...
And this is our little one sleeping yesterday...We had a BBQ at Ben's parent's place last night with his sister, aunt, uncle and family too...I hope you are having a good weekend...Lissy

christmas past & present...sneak peaks

My last class at the Wave Rock Retreat is

Christmas Past & Present

So get out those Christmas photos...old ones or new ones and get ready to scrap!

Some traditional and some modern papers and embellishments...

Three different layouts...

Sketches coming soon - Lissy

new things...

Evangeline has some new adventures this year...

She has started dance...well she did this a couple of years ago but was keen to have another go...they do a bit of a mixture of jazz, tap, ballet etcMorganne kept opening the door to go in...she would love to start too!

And piano...we bought a piano from Alli last year...and finally got a spot with Kay at school for lessons on Friday mornings...She did very well...Lissy

You 2010...

I am doing an online class with Mel Nunn over at Kim Archer's Workshops @ Home...

Why??? Because it is all about me and I do not scrap book myself...sure I make sure I am in some photos with the kids sometimes but that is for telling their stories...not mine...

So I decided to join in to make myself tell my story ...or part of it at least!

I am also getting onto scrap booking my childhood photos too...

Anyway I did the first layout today...I even had to go outside and take a self portrait...shudder....lol...not brilliant but hey I am never going to suddenly turn into Cindy Crawford now am I...it will do! The layout only took me about half an hour! Perfect! Thanks Mel!

I am sure you can probably still join in...go over and take a look...Lissy