handing over the baton....

Hello my sweet gentlewomen,

Just a final note from me...host of our first challenge.I am so very excited that we have produced work of such a beautiful standard. I realise there are a couple to still come. I am unfortunately not able to blog tomorrow night as we have arrangements so I thought I would touch base tonight. I get to attend the Black Duck Award Ceremony. As you know the emblem for Swannie is the Black Swan, proudly worn on the uniform of Dave(my Darling Man) . The staff have knicknamed the Swan the Black Duck and so service awards and recognition is in the form of his ceremony. I am attending and having a reason to go out for tea.

With regards to Scraperlicious Scrappers , it is a privelage to be amongst such talented people. We all have our own style and abilities we are fortunate to all be able to learn from one another. I would also like to add I won't be the only interstate diva as Kathryn will soon join those ranks. I sincerely hope that move is as seamless as possible and that all the health issues in your family are resolved soon.

I think we have an excuse...not that we needed one but an annual reunion might be a grand idea with our albums, with all twelve challenges for the year to be displayed. Some food, a wee dram and some fantastic company to showcase our achievements might be great. Melbourne might be suggestion some great pubs and cheap hotels etc. Think about it.

I hope you all liked my writing piece , I don't often get so inspired but really enjoy it , maybe I can have my critics and drop the odd story in for practice.

I am as you all know not a scrapbooker. Neither do I claim that it is a talent of mine but the inspiration and the challenge was great fun. It enabled me to go out of my comfort zone and have some fun. I actually was also able to go to a scrap night here in Swannie, buy a couple of products and I had the company of a lovely lady called Bev for the evening. I scrapped, talked laughed and did a sticky beak of other scrappers pages. All in all a very positive experience.

I with anticipation hand over the baton to our Delicious Donna, card maker genius and a very busy diva with all her challenges.Donna your cards have blown me away. You are making friends and doing something you love.I admire that so ...much. Here is a gargantuous cococuddle and be gentle with us...Love and kisses Coco xx

Kiss someone delicious and love to love someone xxx

Thanks for having me !!

Sandie's Super Scrap page!!

Here we are scrappers!!! My "WINTER WONDERLAND" is now complete. I hope that you like it?? I had fun creating it & found it refreshing not to actually have 'people' in my pics!! A close up of tag top.

Close up of chip board cut out.

I used -

Kaisercraft paper - Spirograph, Bazzill, Bazzill Bling, RW Laser Cuts, Bella! Chipz alphabet, Distress Crackle Paint, Distress Inks, Bay Books alphabet, Spellbinders Snowflake, Cuttlebug Ice Crystal, Cre8tiv Wool Paper, K & Company tag, Kaisercraft Rub-ons, Embossing powder and butterfly sticker!! Whew!!

Thanks everyone for checking out my page.

Cheers Sandie xxx

Winter Wonderland - Donna

Ok....I have finally gotten off my butt and have posted.... This is my offering for this challenge! I had NO idea on what I was going to do so there is no planning involved here at all...I just went with it!!! I used my new Unity stamps that I received the other day and I think the red paper is by Bo Bunny...Not sure!

Even though I haven't done a layout for ....Um I can't remember...I had fun! Wait and see what I have in store for us next month...You are going to love me! NOT! he he!
Loves You All....

Xx
Donna

Winter wonderland challenge-Sue.

OK, I'm asking you to use your imagination here. try to picture something between the two colours of these layouts. I had a fair bit of trouble finding a place to photograph this that showed the transparency to it's best, don't think I managed too well but you get the drift of it I hope. I was going to hang it on the clothes line so you could see through the see through bits but it was too windy here this morning and it would not keep still long enough, that and the fact that there are still wet towels out there.

Papers-Melissa Frances, bought these for Christmas last year and didn't get to use them, glad I had the opportunity here because I love them.

Cardstock-PTI vintage cream (another fave, must stock up again when our dollar gets a little stronger)

Snowflake die-cuttlebug

Scallop border punch-StampinUp, Australia

Distress ink- antique linen, Tim Holtz

Snowflake charm-eBay

Digi word art-here and check out their blog paislee press even though I am not and never will be a digi scrapper their designs and styles are awesome, if ever anything was going to drag me over to the dark side of digital this site would be it ;-)

Transparency- KI memories, polka 2. another thing I have had in my stash for a while and finally decided to use. As soon as I pulled out the photo I thought of this , I felt dots represented snowfall really well.

Cheers,

Susy

Our first layout

comes from the awesomely talented Coco, I just love all the flourishes and vintagey goodness. She is having computer trouble at the moment hence my post. Here is a little about her layout in her own words.

A bit of a run down of products, those I know etc.
Bazzill paper - 3 blues
2 crafty chipboard swirls, covered with denim paint dabber, then white paint dabber with superfine rainbow glitter, then liquid applique, dried in between every different application.
the stamps used are from Hero Arts, Winter butterfly design.
the glitter embossing powder is Kazzazz
the punch is my snowflake punch ek success brand.
i have used kaiser gems and pearls and some metal embellishments from my stash.
I used the kindy glitz for the green shimmer.
Distress inks,
shabby shutter, peeled pain, broken china and faded jeans.
I had lots of fun even though it is not the photo I had originally wanted to use. thanks for letting me play . i am proud of myself.

Way to go Coco, you really should scrapbook more often.

My page is almost to the completed stage and I will hopefully be able to post either today or some time over the weekend, yes I procrastinated, but it's amazing how quickly things move when you actually pick out a photo and some paper, just making that first step can be the hardest ;-) I hope your creations are all coming along and remember we only have a week left, can't wait to see what you all do.

Cheers,

Susy

Wintertime...

What does wintertime mean for you. ?
Is is just an inconvenient time for washing to dry?
Is it a time when your garden is colourless and damp?

Are you a winter person or a summer guru?

I as most of you know a winter girl. I think it is a romantic time of the year filled with activities that warms my soul. Firstly it is soup weather. The memories of soup stem back to Bunty (my Grannie). She had soup down to a fine art. Scotch broth, Minestrone , leek and potato. You name it and she made it. She was a legend. My Mum Katie has taken over the role and taught me. The whole notion of filling the house with the smell of homemade soup , it smells like home. A big bowl of soup with crusty bread lavished with butter...not marg. Bunty had one of those huge big metal spoons just for the job. We use one when we are baking but still refer to it as a grannie spoon.

Mittens and scarves reminds me of winter. I have a plethora of them in my wardrobe . The rainbow of colours and textures is so refreshing .Warm toasty fingers and a beautiful cashmere scarf around my neck keeping the crisp air from chilling me. I can remember Thomas and a scarf I bought for him when he was four. It was a rainbow . He wore it with little gloves and a mini beanie. Cute ...very cute. I can remember my Mum attaching a pair of gloves to the neck of my coat on a string with the gloves hanging out each sleeve. This way I didnt lose my gloves and I could just slip them on when I put my jacket on.

When I was quite little I can remember going to school on a snowy morning and hoping that we would have a big slide to play on. The snow would melt a little and then re freeze making a slippery path. You took a a few steps back at then running onto the patch we would go for a huge slide down to the end. It was so much fun until the school janitor would come out in his brown jacket with a bucket of salt. He would shoo us away and throw down salt to melt our makeshift playground. That was until the next day when we would try another spot.!!

The trees in winter are my greatest joy. They are bare with their personalities showing. THe intricate weaving of the branches and the soft grey colour are beautiful.Driving in the country and the illusion of fluffiness of large group of trees , bare , awaiting spring. Divine.

Walks in the park and down by the river when the trees are bare and Jack Frost has sprinkled his magic silver dust on the ground. The swirling smokey breaths you take and the layers of warm jackets and jumpers are all signs of a magical time of year.

I am off to stir the pot of soup on my stove. Yellow split pea and vegies today. Yummy.
Have a wonderful winters day xxx coco

Checking in 2

HI there my lovely friends and scrappers,

Firstly let me say thankyou to all who have made comment about my little burst of creative writing. I appreciate your kindness. I do however remember when we all discussed the lack of pressure this experience is supposed to be about lol. I was inspired whilst in Bendigo for a day out and where you guys seem to be inspired to create a page I guess for me I get the urge to write. Mostly I ignore the notion but as this was something I loved to do when I was young every now and then I have to put my inspiration into words.

I know a lot of us have not started our pages but believe it or not ...this humble cardmaker is on a very industrious hunt for the photo I want to use on my page. I have spent this evening trawling through several hundred I have on disk but to no avail. I will keep on trying. It is not like it is the most marvelous piece of photography...Sue, Donna and Sandie...as I am fairly dreadful behind the camera but...the theme and inspiration is why my hunt is so important.
I have ideas for the page based on finding the photo. As always in life though there is an upside. I have just cleared photos onto disk from my camera from TWO years ago. OMG!!
I have also organised some of my pictures of the art and cards I have done onto a disk. Yes I have...
So onwards and upwards pray that I find my photo so I can stick to task and release me from this pressure lol and let me get started. It is scary that I am so enthusiastic about a page not a card OMG . SEE it's working .
I hope this is what you all mean by hosting the blog . Lots of my chitter , drivel.. chatter. If not e-mail me please.
Please send hugs and kisses to Swannie with Miss Sandie. Hope Sharon is having a ball camping.Where do you plug your hairdryer in anyway Sharon when you are in the bush and can you wear your lippie????? 5 star or nothing for me . Have a great day all my darling friends and know I miss you all . This is a candy filled way of keeping in touch xx Kiss someone lovely and keep smiling xx Coco

winter wonderland....

Hello Sweet gentlewomen,

Picture this....

The woman is dressed in a dark grey coat with large black buttons.Her tiny feet are encased in red leather boots and her little fingers are cocooned in red leather gloves lined with grey flannel. Cosy.
The day is chilled but the sky is blue. She sits on a shiny metallic chair at a table set for two . She is alone with her head bent ravishing the words of her book. A steaming hot chocolate drink served in a high ball glass sits next to a plate .What delicacy is on the plate ? A crumbly biscuit base topped with a thick caramel filling and a dark choclate ganache.
The woman is lost on a private journey to an unknown place within the pages and suddenly the sound of the town clock prises her attention back to the tree lined street in which she sits.
The deep , old world chimes sing out. She looks towards the clocktower and sees the beautiful sandy stonework. The face of the clock is white andthe hands are black iron, beautiful in their flourishes.

The sound reflects a time in her past , memories of a little girl waiting for her mother on the steps of the Celtic cross with a view of the Town Hall clock. The snow powdery , sparkling and falling ever so gently onto her nose. The clock chiming in anticipation of her Mother's arrival. Anticipation of the visit to the toffee shop for a little white bag, inside filled with shards of caramel sweetness. Twenty pence of "broken bits" to last the whole day into tomorrow. .

The woman has removed her gloves and using the silver fork cuts into the chocolate ganache,down into the caramel and finally through the crumbly biscuit.Opening her mouth she pops the fork into her mouth and tastes the wonderful caramel sweetness from her grown up treat but captures the smile of the little girl and her toffee treat.

Looking along the street there are, like little grey soldiers, rows of trees that have lost their leaves. Their true identities bare to the world. Each tree with it's own character and yet in abundance a reflection of hope for the future when spring comes and provides them with a cloak in forty shades of green. Wrapped in leaves and flowers to continue the cycle.

Here in Bendigo , Victoria but... for a few brief moments memories of a Winter Wonderland in Europe , where I spent my childhood.
Love Coco xx