Introducing Red the Crab

I have no idea where Red came from ... but he was found on the floor one day and My DH thought it was incredibly funny when he joked about me having crabs! Well I thought I'd get one up on him and I hid Red inside DH's jar of anti-chafing cream ... since then it has become a game to hide Red the crab, this has been going on for a few days now, Red has been put under pillows, on dinner plates, hung up on coat hangers, on toothbrushes and last place my DH put him in was my bottle of coke. I managed to get Red out of the bottle and I have hid him under the TV remote control



So I thought I'd update you on Red's Adventures as he has them!! Lets see how long DH takes to find Red tonight and where will he end up next???

Thankful Thursday

I have decided that I am going to try blog everyday ... it may not be interesting lol but I'm gonna try!
Today I am thankful for my amazing husband. He has made so may sacrifices for me. He works hard because he knows I would rather be at home, and he never complains. I love him more than anything. He understands, supports and replenishes my scrapbook obsession. He is a wonderful father to our children, he's funny and I couldn't ask for a better husband. So that's what I'm thankful for today.

Now onto the craft .....

Another TM Scrappers Challenge LO. The challenge was to create a single page layout using one or more fabrics which must have either hand or machine sewing on layout as well.

Well my sewing machine had me swearing as it wasn't zigzagging for me and I ended up hand stitching on this LO.
Before we moved Riley's class planted sunflower seeds. He had two growing when he left and we bought them with us, we had also planted some at home a few weeks before. So when we moved we planted them all in our new garden. When they finally flowered they were amazing! Riley was very proud of his sunflower garden. We only just pulled the sunflowers out this morning.



The fabric for this LO came from a yard sale in America!! Jason did alot af yard saling while he was over there and he found this enormous bag of quilting scraps. I trained him well, he got it and there were alot of lovely bits of fabric in there.
This LO I used a sketch from Page Maps

WooHoo Wednesday

It is Wednesday, every 2nd Wednesday is payday WOOHOO and that's today. I have spent the morning doing chores and grocery shopping (which I love!!)
My friend Jennie submitted a LO for up2scrap and it has been shortlisted WOOHOO, we are really hoping that both our LOs get in and we can be in the same magazine together!!

Anyway down to crafting business .......



The photos are from our friend Sarah's daughter, Paige's Birthday party back in 2008! Sarah is a volunteer firefighter at the Manly Firestation and they had Paiges birthday there. It was a dress-up party so I got on the phone to my Mum and she sewed Riley up a Firefighter costume. All the kids got to go on a drive around the block in the firetruck! So much fun!!

This is a LO I did for the TM Scrappers challenge that Jennie, Kristine and I run ... The challenge was to pre-pick a old item that has sat at the bottom of a draw for ages! and using your item make a one or two page LO with 4 different papers and it must also include some ribbon.
This is the item I chose ...



Jase bought these stickers back from the states with him in July 09 so they have been sitting there a while.
Since we moved to Pukekohe I haven't spent any money of scrapping supplies, and I am overwhelmed by the fact that I have made so many things and not needed to buy new stuff. I am on a Scrap My Crap mission! I love this blog and I have decided that I want to try go without spending for another 3 months! Lets see if I can do it!!

Busy Beaver

I have been soooooo busy crafting it's awesome!
My big news is I have had 2 Los put on the shortlist for the only NZ Scrapping magazine Up2Scrap. I won't find out until the end of March if they will definately be published but I'm pretty stoked to be put on the shortlist to begin with!

Fiskateers are having a HUGE 5 day online crop at the moment ... only having dial-up internet has it's major disadvantages! But I have participated as much as possible anyway!

So here are a couple of LOs I have done since I last posted :)





And thanks so much to Jennie who made me the wonderful plaque which is my new banner, when it arrives in a box I will be attaching it to my craft room door :)

Stuff ...

As promised here are a few pics of Scrapping and crafting I have worked on ... Oh and not to forget my new CRAFT ROOM!!!







These are three canvases, a clock for my Craft Room and a Halloween House

My Favourite LOs lately ....







I have also decided to be brave and submit a couple LOs to Up2Scrap again so fingers crossed there

And here is my very well used Craft Room ...

I'm BAAACCCCCCKKKKK

We finally have the internet again!! WOOHOO!!! Sad thing is it's only dial-up so things are in slow motion hehe! I have so many crafts to share and will try to put some pictures up later on ...

So glad to be back online!

Busy Busy times with Excellent Changes Ahead

Well life for me over the last year has been very topsy turvy. In July last year my husband and I decided to swap roles for a while. I earned more money than he did in his job so I went back to work full time while he stayed at home with the kids. It wasn't what either of us really wanted but it was what was best for us at the time. In November Hubby decided that he wanted to take us home to the United States and re-enlist himself into the US Marines. He thought it would give our family stability and opportunities we could never get in NZ, so off he went to America. 8months later he returned back to New Zealand downhearted and disapointed. Due to the economic situation in the US the Marines were no longer taking re-enlisties ... 8 months of hell wasted. Hubby didn't know what to do. He re-appiled for both the NZ Police and NZ Prison Corrections and after taking many tests, filling out countless applications, having many down moments we have finally hit the jackpot!! Hubby got a job at the Spring Hill Corrections Facility in Te Kauwhata!! Sadly it's an hour and a half drive from where we live now so time for a move. We found a house in Pukekohe and move in on November 7th. Sadly, since hubby had to start training for his job he has had to go away again, but this time he can at least come home for weekends! So things are on fast forward now! There is packing and planning and oh so much to do! The one sad thing about us moving is leaving the friends we've made here behind.
Soooooooo .....
The last couple of weeks I have been crafting gifts madly for everyone at my work. These people have been not only my co-workers but most importantly my friends. They supported us when Abbey was born, when we were car-less after our car was stolen, through my 8 months of sadness with Jason away, and even now helping us out with a second car and major support through our latest journey. Now I have finished the gifts I will have to sadly pack up my craft space ... in the new house I won't have a craft space anymore ... I'll have a craft ROOM!!!!!
Anyway ....
Here are the gifts and things I have been madly making over the last couple weeks ....

These are for all the little girls and boys that I have had the pleasure in teaching over the last year and a bit ... also for Riley and Abbey's favourite friends. The Pink for the girls the blue for the boys (teehee) they have a little chocolate inside each one.


For each classroom (Cherry Bytes, Small Babies, Babies, Toddlers, Pre-school 1, 2 and 3, the Kitchen and Office)I made a clipboard.


For Abbeys teachers Jan and Sofie I made note pad holders and for Becki an art work holder, all to go on the fridge




And also one for Riley's teacher Nina


So I'll be a bit quiet for a while but I promise my first post in my new house will have pics, or even a video, of my new craft room!

Until then ...

Happy Scrapping :)

Big Box of Goodies ....

Arrived on my door step yesterday afternoon, sadly it wasn't all mine! It was the Stampin' Up order from the Party I had! I have some very cool stuff to play with now.

I have done a few LOs since I last posted so here they are ....





Now I need to think of some 'Goodbye' Gifts for the kids teachers for when we leave ... any suggestions?

Busy Busy Girl :)

I have been very busy today ....

I have completed two Lo's, made Homemade pizza for dinner and a lasagne for tomorrow night. I have baked a choc/coconut slice and we spent the afternoon at the beach with the kids, I feel like a domestic Goddess today hahahaha
Here are my LOs ... it has been a day for Riley :)




Now off to decide if I am going to cook a banana cake, ice my slice or curl up on the couch with a movie!?

Creative Day

Yesterday I had a lovely creative day. The weather was horrible so we were inside all day and it got my mojo on the go! Here's what I created ....

This canvas has the little prints from our annual Positive/Negatives photo shoot we do through my work/the kids daycare, Kindercare. The photographer gives you a tiny print of each photo they take with the order number on it. This year it was very hard to pick which ones we wanted to buy, but the little ones are very cool to use too!



And I also did a LO ... keeping with the Black & White photo theme!



I'm having a Stampin' Up party on Monday night with Jacquelyn Pedersen on Monday night so I'm quite looking forward to that, I'll let you know how it goes, until then lets hope I have another creative day today ... although now I've said that and see the beautiful sunshine coming in my window ... maybe not!