Scrappy Happenings

After the epic Kitchen Tea album was completed a few weeks ago, i took a break from scrapping. I turned my attention towards work and on my days off i spent my time de-cluttering our unit, watching Dr Phil and Oprah and getting really clucky for no good reason. It was strange. Anyway, clucky stage over, I reverted back to scrapping. This is what i've made lately:

These cards are for the Scrap Therapy ROCKTOBER ATC swap this month.

This is my "shopping for the dress" page in our "engagement" album.

The Kitchen Tea Album....

I FINALLY FINISHED THE KITCHEN TEA ALBUM! It has taken 12 days of almost undivided attention but here are my favourite pages (there are some dodgy ones where i either had NO idea what to do with the dodgy quality -but still important- photos OR where the recipe was presented in such a way that I didn't really have any ideas on how to tie it in with the album theme so i didn't and pretty much just stuck it in with a few minor embellishments).
I'm feeling really accomplished right now... I've never ever done anything like this before in my life... it's HUGE and i love it and it's so filled with love. There are still more recipes to come, apparently, and they will go into the "late entries" envelope on my 2nd last page. So far, there are 25 recipes. Not all of them are presented on a page (clashing colours, etc) some are tucked neatly into little envelopes i stamped with my Kitchen Tea stamp. :) ANYway, enough talking... here it is:








There are over fifty pages in total... mind you, many of them were simple "just glue in the recipes i was given" pages. I'm really proud of my efforts... I'm beyond caring whether i'm any "good" at this... i just love scrapping so much, i don't care! It's for ME and for my loved ones to enjoy.

Random Ramblings

The kitchen tea party went off brilliantly despite a few...hiccups. I have thanked Annie x 1 000 000 for what she did to save the day. She was so nervous about public speaking especially to a bunch of strangers (all MY friends and family) but she really stepped up to the plate and organised and ran some games and I'm so glad she did. She's the best! I'm so proud of her and I hope one day i get to return the favour somehow.

It hasn't been the best week... I don't want to go into the negative details here but i'm now down a "best friend" and my maid of honour. Position Vacant? :P Nah, we're seriously not dealing with the practical side of how this impacts the bridal party situation just yet, it's too sore a point right now. Friendship-wise though, i think this is for the best. We're probably better off without eachother, unfortunately. We had some great times though, Clo & I. We're just too different now as adults and yeah i'm so not going into it here. Apart from that, it has been a tough week in other ways and I am soooo thankful for the support of Ben and close friends, namely Russ & Annie. They have been absolute angels and i love them soooooooOOOOoooo much and hope things get better soon.

OH, school holidays are nearly over. I've got 7 random relief days spread out over the term already booked at one of the local schools but apart from that nothing planned yet, work-wise. I reckon the first week or so will be pretty slow (what kind of teacher chucks a sickie on the first few days back after the holidays?) but it should pick up a little. I'm getting a tiny bit nervous as the end of the year draws close. I haven't got anything lined up for next year yet. It's getting closer!! Oh well, God will provide... one way or another.

In scrapping news, it's the ROCKtober Cybercrop at Scrap Therapy this weekend. I've already completed 3 of the 4 main challenges. I must admit I didn't put as much effort into them as I usually would. Firstly because I've resigned myself to the fact that I'm never going to be as good as the extremely talented girls on there and secondly cos my scrapping attention has been focussed on working on the Kitchen Tea Recipe & Scrapbook which I won't show you too much of until it's finished.... Maybe i'll give a sneak peak?

Nahhhhhh....
Anyway, hope you have a fantastic week! :)

Kickin' off the Girliest Week Ever

It's school holidays.

These are my first school holidays as a real teacher and i am looking forward to two weeks of sleeping in, catching up with mates and not having to do all that much at all.

The first week is choc-full with specialist doctors' appointments and all sorts of other errands I didn't have the time or inclination to do while relief teaching. Annie & I have an all-day-all-night girly extravaganza planned for Tuesday... this will involve some bridal shopping (she can't make it to Saturday's appointment cos she'll be working), lunch, op-shop-hopping, scrapbooking, facials, manicures & pedicures and probably watching a girly dvd or two.. AND she's sleeping over! I've only ever been to one girly sleepover (last YEAR) so this is a HUGE deal for me. Poor Ben's going to have to put up with us! Hahaha. On Saturday, Chloe (my best mate and maid of honour) will be up from Townsville and so she and Hannah and myself are going to go to the bridal shops and try to sort out the dresses for the wedding...yeah...good luck with THAT! I am feeling so indecisive about the dress! Then the next day, Sunday, it will be my Kitchen Tea Party at Mum & Nanna's house where i grew up. IT'S THE GIRLIEST WEEK EVER.

To kick it off, i made the front cover for my Kitchen Tea Recipe Book........

Cairns Crop!!

Today I went along to my first Scrap Therapy Crop. Fun!! :) I had been feeling sick all morning and didn't think i'd make it but i felt a bit better after lunch so off i went; cardstock and patterned paper tucked under my arm! Here is a layout i did when i got home from the crop, using letters i cut out with the sizzex machine.




I am in love with the Sizzex Machine... just thought I'd add that here. Big Big Love.

What I've Made Lately...

I've been sooo busy.. I've started relief teaching at a few local schools. There's lots of variety, huge challenges and lots of fun. I'm loving it! Every day is an adventure! :)

In my spare time, I've made lots of crafty stuff... this is what I've made lately:

1. Teaching Diary: Where i keep notes on which schools i've been working at and what dates i worked there so that i can cross check my payslips.

2. Kitchen Tea Party invites... well, someone's gotta do them! :) I know that the shower should be held by my girls, but meh... I'm scrapping inclined and i LOVED making them so what's the bid deal?

3. My entry into the Scrap Therapy Thickers/Leftovers Challenge.

4. The completed Bridesmaid Boxes. WOOHOO!

5. Re-scrapped the night Benny proposed to me (almost a year ago)

Lately

I HAVE FINISHED MY DEGREE!

I AM A REGISTERED TEACHER!

I had my last day working at after school care... I hope to be teaching in some way or another by September!

In other news...

The Scrap Therapy site is down... well actually, it is apparently only down for some but I am one of the unlucky ones. :(

Anyway, I've been scrapping my little heart out this month so here are some of my latest bits & pieces...

The first layout is one with hidden photos & hidden journaling. The next is one i did for a ST challenge regarding "my greatest achievement." The thankyou card was for my supervising teacher on prac. The ATCs are my very first (very dodgy) attempt at participating in an ATC swap. The CD Magnet Card is for Mel's 25th (still haven't given it to her!). The bear is a WOW promo bear altered to be... super ROSHC bear... a teddy i gave my workplace to hopefully soften the blow of me leaving with little notice. The Treasure Box is my belated birthday present to Nanna. The pink flower card is for Mel & Damo's engagement which is coming up soon. Leaving ROSHC is a pretty self explanatory layout based around the R.E.M song lyrics "leaving new york." The next layout is of Amanda's beautiful baby girl when we all went to see her when she was only ONE day old! And last but not least, the BUGLET layout is my first attempt at the poppet style... the photo is from the day i rocked up to vacation care dressed as a lady beetle when nobody else was in costume... i had read the program all wrong. WHOOPS! The little note is a badge thing Meg had made me the following vacation care when she was making play-badges for herself, the other staff and some of the kids. Anyway i best be off to tutor little Nicole.

Happy Scrappy Days

Last night I was bored and turned two "cigar boxes" from Spotlight into themed sticker boxes for my scrap collection... will make finding "baby" and "birthday" stickers that much easier when I go to make cards!
I also tidied up my scrap-table... my cutting mat is absent as it is still sitting over HERE in the computer room after a maths-related prac frenzy where i couldn't find anything with 1cm x 1cm grid lines on it so that i could attempt to solve a stoooooooooooooooopid problem involving a billiard table before i taught it to the extension maths group the following day.



Oh, and the other day I scrapped this little beauty documenting "my current job" ... the first page i've completed for my "welcome to my life - 2008" book.

The Bible Verse Book

It's rather random... there is NO continuity from one page to the next... so... aesthetically, there are no design principles at work with this album.

BUT i love it because it is a work in progress featuring some of my current favourite bible quotes.

It's been awhile...

I haven't written an entry in SO long!
(I'm not too worried, I have it on pretty good authority that nobody actually reads this as nobody i know knows that it exists!!)
I've been soooo busy over the last two months. Sadly, in early June, Ben wrote off his car when we had an accident on the Smithfield Roundabout on our way to Young Adults. :( We were very lucky to get out of there more or less unharmed. Basically, we were going around the roundabout at a normal/slow speed in the wet and we lost control, slid out and somehow ended up hitting a pole and then facing the opposite direction to which we'd been travelling in IN THE MIDDLE OF THE GRASSY PART OF THE ROUNDABOUT. We're pretty lucky we didn't roll and i'm pretty lucky the pole fell where it did and not a few centimetres closer in my direction. There was Vacation Care (we went on excursions to the movies, the zoo and sizzler). I've been really busy with getting my job applications in and have started the interview processes involved with getting a teaching position. There was the jo-vo swap with my buddy Russ (part 2 is still pending Boofhead finding the time to come along) where we had a "cultural exchange" of sorts.
I am currently on my final teaching prac (FOUR WEEKS TO GO!)


Craft-wise, I have made a bazillion of those CD-Fridge-Magnet-Cards for friends lately but keep forgetting to take photos of them before I gift them. ARGH! Haha. I also made a cool round box for my sister-in-law-to-be when she stayed over our place the other night, and again, I forgot to take a photo of it first! I've been participating in the Make Believe Masters competition on Scrap Therapy forums and have found it very challenging but exciting. My favourite task was the calendar. I made a calendar in a BOX for 2009. Something different, anyway. Hehe. I've also been sifting my way through various photos (new & old, mine & mums) and scrapping away happily. I started my little book of random favourite bible verses (it is very random... there's little continuity in this album but i love the quotes and i love making each page different so i really don't CARE!)

Calendar in a Box:
http://i104.photobucket.com/albums/m192/bella_bambina1986/103_0156.jpg
http://i104.photobucket.com/albums/m192/bella_bambina1986/103_0167.jpg
http://i104.photobucket.com/albums/m192/bella_bambina1986/103_0169.jpg

Recent Layouts:

Ben & I at our Year 12 Formal, 2003.
Ben's Car after the Crash aka Barry the Magna's Untimely Demise (June 2008)

Zia's Awesome "Reach for a Peach" shirt at the beach in the early 90s

My year 12 Senior Induction Day, 2003

The ROSHC Club

I'm always joking about how our workplace is a lot like the Baby Sitter's Club... i thought i'd give a ROSHC Club Layout a go. Inspiration taken from old school BSC book covers :)

Me & Karina at our Mug (and TREE) ceremony at JCU. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Cards I Made for the July CyberCrop Card Challenge:

(Challenge: Cards must include triangles, hearts & at least one card must be square shaped)