a little competition...

I have some cute scrap booking goodies up for grabs...

You just need to tell me what you think Ben is building?

A hint...we live on 5 acres, have two kids, two dogs, two cats and plan on getting ponies and chickens...it is related to ONE of these things...

Here he is busy on the project yesterday...

This is what you will win...I am happy to post them anywhere...a couple of Basic Grey items, a couple of Sassafras things, and some We R M glitter lace...


Just leave a comment on this post...before the end of the month! (click on the comments bottom below)

I will announce the winner on Friday October 1st...either a clear winner or if several people guess the correct answer those names will go in the hat for a random draw...

Obviously those that already know are not eligible to enter!

And one cheeky little miss!And we are on school holidays! YAY! Lissy

whose crazy idea was this...

I admit it was my crazy idea...to do sport and dance photo layouts...the colours are never good in these photos...what was I thinking!

But somehow I have managed to pull something together...In a frenzy of horrible photo syndrome I proceeded to rip up bits of paper and then put them all back together again, play with some Glimmer Mist and do some stitching...rather therapeutic actually...

So here are the sneak peeks for my second class at the retreat...

Rising Stars

For all your sport, football, hockey, netball, cricket, dance, horse riding and other such photos of yourself, your husband or your little stars!

I have done four versions of the layout...working with subtle versions of the colours in the photos...using Basic Grey Pyrus, Crate Paper Restoration and Basic Grey Olivia...

You will need three 6x4 Portrait photos and four 6x4 landscape photos for this double layout...

Thanks to Di Mortimer for the photos of the Hyden PS Athletics Carnival...

And that is about it for now...Lissy

oh my giddy aunt...

One thing I have avoided like the plague in scrap booking has been heritage layouts...I have plenty of old photos of our family to scrap but didn't really think I could do it...

I have waited patiently for Sharon Manning to do some more heritage classes...but no, she decides to have a break! Well really!

So in desperation I have had a go! And you know it really wasn't so bad!

So here are some sneak peeks for my first retreat class...my version of heritage scrapping...It's all in the Past...I tried these pics with my camera off auto...cropped but unedited...I think they turned out ok...I actually have to add some journalling and dates to them but I am awaiting confirmation from my mum and my aunt on a couple of things...my mum is rather inconveniently in Quebec...lol...

There will be three heritage layouts in this class and as usual hundreds of variations as I cannot seem to stop at one! You could of course scrap some modern photos too...

Stay tuned for my next class...again I had hoped Sharon would tackle this one...sport, footy and dance photos...another major challenge for me...but Karen is sending me some very nice products so we should be fine! Lissy

undie drive...

(edited to add...I will be collecting Undies again at the Scrappin' Outback Retreat in October)

Last year I collected lots of underpants from family and friends to send to the Children of the Forest...we managed to send about 280 pairs! About 2- 3 pairs per child...

They always struggle to provide enough underwear for the kids so I am planning on having another
UNDIE DRIVE
again this year!

So if you would like help buy some undies for children or teenagers...boys or girls...and give them to me!

There are more than 150 children and teenagers of all ages at the

Children of the Forest so any size is welcome!

And hopefully this year we can again send several pairs for each child...

I have been sending clothes regularly too as we collect them at school...and as we are changing our uniform too we have been sending our lovely check shirts...

This is the response we received from Mark from Children of the Forest regarding the items that we have been donating.

“We have been receiving your parcels and they continue to play a vital part in our child protection program. We struggle to find money for clothes but your donation means that our children look smart and cared for and most importantly they love to wear what you send. I am attaching a few photos.” So each bit we do is worth the effort to the children who have so little...Lissy

father's day....

Well luckily Ben is home for Father's Day this year...Evangeline was very excited so woke us up rather early! She had made him a coaster and card at school and we had been to Margaret River Chocolate Factory to get some chocolate hearts! We had a cooked brekkie and then went for a bit of a bike ride...Then after lunch it was off to the circus! I had my camera on auto as I couldn't figure out manual at the circus! And we all enjoyed it...Circus Joseph Ashton is worth a visit...2 hours for $15 dollars each...M was free...funny and entertaining...I hope you all had a great Father's Day...Lissy

draw...

Last night just before bedtime Evangeline drew this picture of a snake on a tissue! I think it is fabulous...Lissy

and some photos from the end of august...

I have been dutifully trying to keep my camera off auto to learn how to use it...my homework for the class I am taking run by Sharon...warning this is a very photo heavy kind of post...

I am a no or minimal edit kind of person...I will crop photos but prefer to do nothing else...mainly because I do not know what else to do...lol...and don't want to spend the time editing...so I keep the grubby faces and all...I am trying to capture a memory not a perfect photo...and these sure are no way near perfect!

And I must say I am quite pleased with the photos I am taking off auto! There are lots of bad ones but enough keepers...I am am liking the colours and lighting on manual modes...and I even like the blurring and movement I am capturing when I do not quite get it right...kids in the playground...it captures their amazing energy and delight...and I am doing OK indoors without a flash...

I certainly have not figured it out but I am learning...

So here are some photos Freo last weekend...first at the yummy chocolate cafe...then at the play ground which is in heavy shade mostly but I managed OK...and hundreds of very adorable baby Z...And more of baby Z on a visit to our house the other day...Some fun outside in the rain...I can only show a couple of E as she was in her favourite puddle jumping attire!A bit of gardening...And some painting one afternoon...A meal out to celebrate mum's birthday...I had trouble with my focal points on most of them...
Morganne at playgroup...all taken without a flash which was a big achievement...her painting of a baby...And speaking of photos...Morganne and I went off to visit Sharon yesterday...and she took some fabulous photos...you can see them on Sharon's blog...but here are a couple...love this one...

I had to tickle a very grumpy M to get some photos...this is to match one we already have of Evangeline that Sharon took last November...And the rest of the time she wanted Mummy to have her photo taken...so there are lots of me! And Sharon sure makes me look good! And our grumpy girl fell asleep on the way home...Ben arrived home unexpectedly on Wednesday so he is home for Father's Day...and we have some nice things planned! Lissy