Catching Up

Guilty ! ! !  – of spending time with my family, forgetting about blogging and being attached to the computer and just relaxing for a bit.

Guilty ! ! ! – of taking some time out for me
GUILTY and loving it...
I plead INNOCENT – as it was time i needed to take to get myself back to normal.

Happy New Year Everyone
I don’t know about all of you but 2010 was one of the busiest hardest years I’ve had.  Not only has work taken its toll on me personally and with my family but hubby’s job hasn’t been a bed of roses either.  Priorities at time got completely out of whack (yep there you go I have admitted it) – I do believe that was supposed to be my New Year’s resolution for 2010 and as much as i may have wanted family to come first it didn’t always happen.   I certainly have to hand it to mums who work full time and juggle all the responsibilities of a family as i just haven’t quite got the balance all worked out just yet. 
Then i have watched one of my closest friends have really a crappy year which too has been hard.  Especially when there is just nothing much you can do to help but just be there for them.

So roll on 2011 – its a new year. 
Saying that Im off on a cruise with the eldest daughter this week.  Its the 2nd Australian Scrapbook Cruise and Im teaching 3.5 classes (.5 a mini class).  It should be fun and looking forward to spending some quality time with Jess as she is off to high school this year.  They grow up so fast.
Then back a week which will involve my daughters birthday and my grandpas 100th birthday.  Pretty good effort i must say so myself though there is a lot to say about quality of living.
Then its again off  to CHA with work.  I love the travel involved with my job but at times you just wish your whole family could pack up and come too. 
Here are some happy snaps from a very special Christmas Day with some very old grandparents.  It makes you appreciate every day you have together.


Now for just a little show and tell.  As most of the things i was working on prior to Christmas was for the CHA show and products that aren't out yet i have had to keep them under wraps but i think its probably time for a few sneak peaks of a couple of things that will be released next month - but only a few. 
The photo display frame has fast becoming my favourite off the frame project.  Not only is it easy to make but with they make great presents for people.  I don’t knowhow many i have made now but they are all different and I love them.  This was is done using the DEVONSHIRE range.
HOW TO CREATE THE MOTTLED ANTIQUE LOOK:
-  First of all I roughly painted the frame with watered down raw umber paint. 
-  Then rub Walnut Tim Holtz Distress Ink all over the frame. 
-  On top of this give the frame a generous coat of Tim HOltz Rock Candy Crackly paint
-  Whilst drying spray in areas Irridescant Gold Glimmer Mist to create the antique look.
Here are a couple of sneak peaks of what you can look forward to next month as well as a couple of older ones towards the bottom that I haven’t shared as yet.

What I love about this die cut specialty page is that it fits perfectly onto the new frame.  I’m not into fairy papers usually but with this range is one of my girls favourites.  Look out for MAGIC HAPPENS in your local store.

With kids going back to school in just under a month, you will love the new school range.  CLASS OF ‘97 will have something in it for everyone but what i love is the two specialty pages.  One is a die cut line sheet and the other is an actual pocket page – just perfect for all those certificates and rewards that seem to pile up over the year.

LOVE NOTES – is out this month and should be in your LSS.  Just the perfect range for valentines day.
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Both of these two layouts contain papers from our new core essentials range – TIMELESS.  These are papers that will mix and match with almost any range we have had from past to present.  It is a range of papers that contains clocks, script, music, cards, sudoko, dress patterns and more….

With summer well and truly upon us, though at times Im wondering where the sun is – this new range of paper SEASIDE is a great range to scrap your holiday snaps or time spent at the beach.
Thanks for looking and happy scrapping.
Mel