123 Challenge for October

Wit-wooo
I don't know about you, but I just love crossing things off my "TO DO...." list.

The first was to find a very FUNKY blogger template..and I found it. Aqua Poppy Designs. Just very very amazingly F-A-B. What do you think? I might just change it every couple of months. I adore these designs.

Here's the second...
123 CHALLENGE for October
5 different patterned papers
one colour and one black & white photo
lots of tearing and crumpling

I printed the colour photo onto a transparency (haven't done that in a long time) and the subtle pattern from the Kaisercraft paper gives it extra warmth. The black & white photo has been Photoshopped and is a standard size trimmed down.

There ARE 5 patterned papers - just all scraps. Did not use my trimmer once - well, okay, I had to cut the manufacturer's strip with it ... but that's all!!

I'm experimenting with using my stash in interesting ways. Here is a complete "circle" of Kaisercraft pearls glued onto black vinyl (from Bon's Scraps' August Kit). I stuck that onto a journaling tag then onto a Buzz & Bloom flower from their latest fabric range (thanks Charm!!)


More Buzz & Bloom fabric elements. Perfect for boy pages (big HOORAY!!!!)


Finally, the journalling tag from the most delicious Scraptapestry Kit. Had to brush white paint on the underside so the words stood out. Used Francheville Scrapbooker's Pen -- the most awesome writing pen!


Last week, my GF Kelly had some freebies for this play at The Cremorne.
THE YEAR OF MAGICAL THINKING
If you get a chance you MUST see this. Not a big fan of Robyn Nevin (she just irritates me - no idea why) but for 90 minutes, I was transfixed. Thought-provoking and well-written, I will now be buying the novel.

Have another Ngaire-Day tomorrow at Inkredible. No doubt will pick up more tips and techniques.
Today is officially the end of School Holidays. I am SOOOO excited to be ironing Mackinley's Day Shirts ready for Monday!!!!
And I have oiled my "whip" for Rainer's first day back LOL.....

Outlandish October!!

Welcome to another month of outlandish living!!

I have added the TRANSLATOR to my blog. Mum has no doubt been having fun searching for us on FaceBook while in Italy and the relatives are coming out of the wilderness.......it's awesome!!

MAKE THEM FEEL EXTREMELY LOVED AND WELCOMED!!

Finally, the layout for CRAFT QUEEN. I am really digging ribbon...okay, you can all get off the floor now LOL

I used a Rouge de Garance die-cut sheet (droool) as a mask for the Glimmermist, then layered some scrap Pink Paislee and Nicole's bits from her pack, including those cute sequin stars!!

October's Ribbon Club sneak is on the BLOG now.

IT'S 123 CHALLENGE TIME AGAIN!!
5 different patterned papers
1 colour and 1 b&w photo
lots of tearing and crumpling

Scrap Your Year for March




I bought a set of these

over here

A2Z Scraplets pack arrived


and I gave myself permission to play with this

to make these

This is the last week of the school holidays which means a few more days of playing hard.
I am reorganising my scrap space to fit Rainer's treatment table in this room. Lots of papers and bits and pieces being thrown out or donated.

Very cleansing and ....
NOURISHING....

me 'n' 123 etc

me...
Firstly, thanks to everyone for their supportive cyber-shoulders-to-rant-on. I won't apologise for the fact that at times, my life resembles a rather creepy, sadistic exercise wheel.
I'm the Rat in that wheel; little legs going a million miles an hour...
Then one day I realise, "oh crap, I've seen that before.....and that....and that!!!!"
what the.....?
STOP please....
(yes, I'm a sucker for the extended metaphor, if you haven't already guessed that)

The exercise wheel, however, continues to roll, but I've discovered newer items. Suffice to say, things are moving forward and I've stopped rattling so many cages. I think they have the message! YAY!!

And to that well-meaning mother, oh dear, in a rather patronising fashion (pat-pat on the arm and everything!!) suggested I just accept Rainer the way he is and forget about all this intervention. Perhaps it's not worth the obvious stress it's putting on my marriage (huh??).

So, I make her feel pain the way she just did. And there's only one way to counter such a simplistic point - argue with one much more simplistic >>>

Perhaps those women who cannot conceive a child naturally should just accept things the way they are and not investigate other forms of insemination. If you can't conceive, there's probably a really good reason for that!

Yeah!! Back at ya sister!!! (no, I don't really feel that way. Just wanted to make her squirm....I can be really nasty sometimes)

123 challenge!!





We're over the half-way mark, so get your entries in.

etc....
Here are my layouts for Craft Queen.






I have another lovely parcel from Nicole which I promise to attack every night this week. I have my new Snapfish order and am ready to RAWK!!!!

Bon's has had a facelift!!! Not the actual Bon, the forum - Bon's ... lol. It's "very" Bon and I discovered the cool "print" function so you can print the challenges instead of doing
the ol' copy/paste...woohoo.

Had a lovely time at Inkredible last night, making a couple of cool Christmas Cards but my eyes were bugging out of my head. I've had a Mal-nap today and I'm off to Blossie's tomorrow for another dose of Ngaire-ness. I got an unexpected leave pass!!

If you've made it this far.....

mini book ~ 123 ~ manners please!

Bon's Retreat Mini Book











She is a natural at these and you can see that from her Feature Article in Scrapbook Creations #70. Lacey's mini is more gorgeous in real life!!

Here's a sneak of the September layout for 123 Challenge

because I'm nice and I'm giving you time to get one in before it goes up on the blog :)))

Next on the TO DO list is a couple for CRaft Queen. Then mixed media yumminess via Blue Bazaar.

MANNERS...where are my manners???
Go here....
SCRAPTAPESTRY
then the ABOUT US drop down list
click on DESIGN TEAM and have a read!!

EXCITED??? ah, yes indeedily-doooooo.
Thank you to Naomi Cox for this wonderful opportunity!!
This truly is a dream come true for me xoxoxo

post 195...and she's back!!

Well, hasn't that been an emotional month....or what??!!!!

Thank you to everyone for their messages of support. It was a bit "touch and go" there for a day or two but as they say
YOU NEVER KNOW HOW STRONG YOU ARE
UNTIL SOMEONE GIVES YOU A LOAD TO CARRY
(or is it just me who says this???)

Done being a Pack Horse for a while....so enough blah-ing, here's some VISUAL SPLENDOUR once again from the last month...(queue music)

I am busy unpicking one criteria for this month's 123 CHALLENGE which is....
* bookpaper (by Lea)
* the word "smile" (by Sandie)
* a non-scrappy item (by Kate)
so you'll have to wait -- heehee!! There's a RAK for the first person to upload to 123 between now (today) and when I upload to this blog...and you know it'll probably be ribbon lol.

Speaking of RIBBON, here's the full layout I completed for the firey Nicole Farrell at CRAFT QUEEN. Ah, yes, me and ribbon....if I can do it, anyone can!!!


FINALLY (and I do mean "finally") some work from the GORGEOUSLY Beautiful kit from Scraptapestry aaages ago (sorry Naomi :(( all forgiven??)
The card kit, including a cute and oh, so easy box and notebook.


Cannot wait to get my next kit from Naomi. The site is up and running and the kits are RUNNING out the door. Congrats Naomi xx

Here's my layout from Tam's class at Bon's Retreat. Man, I miss you girls already.


and a WINNER.....A2Z Scraplets have a comp each month on their blog and I "finally" won last month's which was a blind challenge. I gets me a goodie bag!! woohoooo.............


At Bon's, we have a very long challenge called LINK YOUR LAYOUT but it's lots of fun. It was my turn (and that's why it's been a long challenge LOL) and here's what I came up with...


Bon's PAPER OF THE MONTH for August. STarted at Retreat, finished in good time...love it. Thanks Kerry for the "balance" tips!!




And for another issue of Scrapbook Creations, I'm in the TOP TEN thanks to my friend "over the bridge" Ngaire. This is in Issue 70 and you absolutely want to get ISSUE 72, coz it's a corker!!! (even if I do say so myself..pmsl)

Sometimes I hate looking at old layouts. I always think, "could've put that there, and added this to that, what was I thinking putting that there???!!!!!" and it goes on.
At least it's a sign I'm growing as I create, and being self-critical just eases the pain when I hear it from others.

One last layout for Inkredible. The new Kaisercraft will be out soon. Me likey the Christmas pp....


And thankfully I ordered another 3 months' worth from snapfish, so the stash will be reducing once again.
Thanks for stopping by....xxx you all...

p.s. Bon, I will upload the mini soon....heehee, that'll make you keep coming back!!!

The best excuse! (long & personal...warning)

I've been absent from my blog because of major issues in relation to Rainer's schooling for 2010.

Suffice to say, if you have a child with a diagnosed disorder, you'd be best NOT TO TAKE YOUR EYE OFF THE BALL!!! I did and naively left my child's educational development in the hands of those who promised I could just "be Mum" this year and not "Mummy-Therapist".

HOW WRONG.

So for the last 2 weeks, I have cried more times than I'd like to remember, and wondered why I should keep fighting for Rainer's right to be around Neuro-Typical (NT) kids and in a NT school environment.

I have learned so much about myself (and how bloody strong I can be), I have learned so much about how others can manipulate you in order to get the easiest result for them (bugger your own child's well-being), and above all that, how you can have some very productive "off-the-record" chats with some very influential people.

So, where to from here?

I have an appointment with a highly recommended Neuro Psychologist to determine Rainer's cognitive abilities (very hard for an ASD child with limited language) and had very positive meetings with the new Principal of Raine's NT school and Special School.

I have an issue with a person who is employed one school, who I passed the ball to, thinking they had Rainer's best interests at heart, then produced no IEP (Individual Education Programme) all year (despite having an IEP meeting in early May), but manages to co-ordinate an information seminar for parents of ASD kids for her private consulting firm!!!!!

I have issues with people who "double dip"! You either work for the school OR do private consulting. And you only do private consulting when the paid employment work is DONE!

Don't pay for this advice! I will happily give it for FREE!!!!! After all, it's probably information she gleaned from all the parents she met with in her PAID EMPLOYMENT at the schools.

Am I the only one who sees a problem with this?

BUT ONWARD AND UPWARD.

I would whole-heartedly like to thank those who have interrupted my frantic research hours on the computer with an msn chat. At least with msn you can simultaneously bawl your eyes out and communicate -- just awesome technology.

The professionals I have spoken to FOR FREE, who understand that parents of a child with a disability/disorder, don't have spare cash to throw around for $100/hour consults. You build good faith first, then when you begin to give specific recommendations, you can charge.

Thank you to my patient and completely stressed out family. In amongst all the crap I'VE dealt with, hubby has been trying to organise finance for an auction last Friday (we didn't get it, no biggie) on top of his own job which he never seems to switch off from. Poor Mackinley has felt the strain too. We had a "Mum and Mackinley" day at the Brisbane Roar game on Saturday which was excellent time-out.

my mojo is gone!! if found please return to me :(
i miss you!

I could go on in more detail, but there is danger in that on a public forum, I don't care how few people read this blog LOL. Some things really need to remain private and so they should.

One day I WILL write that book - and it'll be FREE!!
Do me a favour -- hug your kiddies very hard and long. Sometimes we forget how "normal" our lives are and we go searching for stuff to complicate it.

Don't take your eye off the ball!!!