July is my Birthday Month

I turned 43 this month and had a great weekend with family although I was still unwell having been diagnosed with diverticulitis almost 10 days prior, I was still in pain and on 2 different antibiotics, but that doesn't mean I wasn't spoilt totally....here are a few pictures of my spoils, and the food the family cooked for me.

We shared dinner with my family on the Saturday night, and it was Masterchef judging by all 10 of us....and on a whole I think the average was a 9....well presented on all dishes. Recipes can be found over on FA Family Recipes Blog

Gifts galore - totally spoilt!!!

Handmade Babushkas from my Sister

A Collection of Vintage sewing supplies, those tins are all filled with Buttons from Hubby and the Kids and yes they were all hidden in that little Vintage suitcase at the top!!!

Some pretties for the Deck, looking at that photo - that pipe is to be removed and then painting of the wall and the hanger will really finish those little candle lights off!!!

White with 1

Last of the July challenges - had hoped to do a few more but with working on the layouts for Augusts Kit Reveal hasn't allowed it today!!! Also blogger wasn't playing nice today when I realised that I hadn't posted my layouts.....so it's taken almost all day between soaking up the sun when i needed a break to get them done....so here is another installment in the paper creating....

So this months July's WHITE WITH 1 CHALLENGE was WHITE + AQUA/TEAL + CHIPBOARD **Your chipboard pieces can be raw, covered with paper, paint glimmer mist etc...

I was so on a roll between my Tattered Angels Glimmer Glam Mermaid and Turquoise blue Glimmer mist, and then I had to use the Rangers Distress Crackle throw in some white paint and my chipboard was happy....then just because I had a new toy for making those lovely perfectly cut diamonds it was onto strings of banners....love how it all came together even colouring in my Jenni Bowlin Button with pencils...it was all art on the go and you should have seen my hands.....that blue just doesn't come off!!!

Here are a few close up detail shots for you.

 Well I am now tucked inside by the heater blogging again,  so you might see a few more posts before the night is out. seeing ashubby is cooking dinner - Cajun Fish with Rice Pilaf......YUM, I am free to blog!!!

Thanks for stopping by to check out my creations!!!

SCRAP THE GIRLS July 2011

Yep July has been the mojo month, lot's to share, just got to get the blogging happening, trust me to leave it all to the end of the month to share and then have blogger issues....arggh lucky the day isn't over yet and this post seems to be working.....finally....LOL

So this months Scrap the girls July's challenge is scrap a Layout using this album cover by ‘Pink’ ‘Greatest Hits….So Far’ as your inspiration.

Choose the colours, design, words whatever grabs you and use them to create your layout, girls only of course, AND you had to choose any song title or lyrics by Pink and use them anywhere on your layout, either as a title on your page or in your journaling.

I LOVE PINK so this was a perfect challenge for me this month totally got inspired to create and here is my layout inspired by the above album cover and the title is from PINK's song "Cuz i Can" from her "I'm Not Dead" Album that was released in 2006.

I loved the pink black and white challenge it was a good one to get me going again this month.

Thanks for looking, I truly hope your out enjoying this amazing sunny day in Sydney!!! The weather is amazing!!! sitting in the backyard on my deck blogging drinking tea....just awesome!!!

Scrapping -July 123 Challenge

OK, don't faint, but I have scrapped, and really loved it, I totally forgot what it was like to get messy and creative with glimmer glam and ink and crackle paints...OH MY!!! 

Yesterday Tiffany joined me for some scrapping in the studio, whilst I was in the mood to scrap, as per our normal scrap/chat session, we chatted more than i scrapped, but I did have a blast and got the beginnings of the July 123 Challenge happening, before we had a nice bowl of soup in the dining room, then back to chatting oops scrapping for tiff and messy messy inking and painting for me, all before Tiff headed off home and I decided that was me for the day.

So Today after a lazy morning, chatting on the phone with friends I haven't seen in a while, I did the dishes and headed out to the studio, I was joined by another friend I haven't seen in weeks and whilst she stitched, I stitched buttons to flowers and finished working on my layout.

I love the 123 Challenges and used to join in every month, but having been on a bit of no scrap mojo zone, it's been a while since I did one, and trying to get the juices flowing did a little blog hop before I started creating, and after reading this months criteria I decided it was the month to get the juices flowing with the criteria of setting a scene it sounded like the perfect way to get my hands dirty ...and I did get dirty and messy!

The criteria for this month was:

COLOUR: AQUA/TEAL

TECHNIQUE: Create A Scene

WORD: "THING" - could be anything, everything, something etc...

I had so much fun playing with all my forgotten tools with this one. I used the big shot to dry emboss with a damask pattern, then I swiped it with some Tattered Angels Glimmer Glam, then painted it with Rangers Distress Crackle Paint Rock Candy before sponging with some of  Rangers Distress Ink, I love the finished look....

I used the same effect on some book page flowers that I cut with the Tim Holtz Tattered Flowers Die - I love how the Rock Candy has lifted the edges so slightly.

Then with the ink out I decided to use some of my Technique Tuesday Stamps that I have been receiving monthly but not using.....So I got to stamping my background with them, once stamped I then got out the colouring pencils and coloured in some of the words - yep the inner artist finally came out to play I tell you!!!

I really had fun!!! Let's hope the mojo stays!!!