Sunday, November 13, 2011

Christmas is coming.....yay!

I found a 'recipe' over at splitcoaststampers for a handmade handcream that took my fancy. Everyone had raved over it, wanted the instructions,  had requests to make it again, and again.
I decided, I could make it too! Only thing is, we don't have a dollar store, wal-mart, or the shops they have, so I had to really look for the ingrediants.
I found them - or variations of the ingrediants.

Whipping out my trusty cake mixer - I whipped me up some handcream:


I caught myself bringing the spoon to my lips a couple of times, just out of habit - lol!
I had to guess the consistancy of the handcream - did I add too much of this, not enough of that - that part was pretty much hit and miss, but.....

 
this is the finished product (not decorated though!)
I sampled the cream myself - and although the mix is a little bit gloopy, it seemed to work. My hands were softer and smellier :)
I did have to pop out to payless plastics for more containers - I underestimated how many I needed.

I also picked up some more ingrediants to make another batch - hoping that the cream recipients like it.
I now need to make a band to go around the jar, and a little tag for the poem I found for the handcream.

My first guinea pigs trialists are my cropping group I go to every month. We are having a gift exchange - this is part of the gift I am making for them.

anyway, until next time
Jamey




Thursday, November 10, 2011

Well, go figure - 2, yes 2 people have asked me when am I updating my blog!
And today, I bumped into a friend who advised me, ever so nicely, that I am slack, very slack for not blogging!
Anyway, I have been cleaning up my scraproom, and I had oodles of scrap cardstock - way too much, so much, that I had to struggle to close my folder where I store them, so I thought I would eliminate some of them. Had to really. Didn't want to just throw them away - such a waste, an expensive waste, so I thought kindy can have some.  
Now, cos I am such a sad sharing caring kinda gal, I thought the kids might like their pretty pieces of paper to be pretty AND fancy. So I grabbed  3x punches and punched away. Took me 2 nights after work to do it, but I did it - lookie at all the prettiness....



Think the kindy kids will be happy to see these?

Then, amazingly enough, I had a brainwave - I grabbed my trimmer, and trimmed and straightened the edges of the scraps I wanted to keep, and sorted out my folder - lookie at this....
Now I just have to use them!
Now, I just have to sort out my alphabet stickers/thickers - I truly cannot close that folder, and it's heavy, and the folder is split.....off to surf the net to get some ideas. And if you have a great idea for alpha's, feel free to let me know! It must be portable (I go to a monthly crop, as well as scrap at home) as well as practical, and user friendly!

Toodle-pip until next time - when I will hopefully be able to upload some layouts I have done recently

Jamey

Thursday, June 16, 2011

There's one thing in life I have learnt over the years - you just don't know what is going to happen next! This is so very true!

The last couple of months have been anything but dull -
my middle son - Chicken Boy - had a car accident - he's ok, luckily. Just banged his head, AND MY CAR! :( my car, that I have only had for 11 months :( is now at the panelbeaters, waiting to get fixed. He is only on a restricted license, and therefore the insurance excess is high.
Mind you, Doofus did the same thing with our car, and his car, and the other car as well - I should be used to the phone call, after the time they are meant to be home, with the little voice going - Muuuummmmm.....

My step-father had a heart attack, and was found on the floor at 3am - he now needs a pace maker. But, he is of the opinion, the doctors only want to experiment on him, so he checked himself out of hospital.The next one, and the doctor's have told him, may be fatal.

I have a new boss at work - and this has obviously brought about a few changes - still early days, but we'll see how that goes

And, I have been asked to take photos for my youngest son's sports teams (yes, plural - teams) D plays hockey - both for his school and a club.  Waitakere Hockey has only started up this season with 5 teams, and have started a website. They wanted MY photos for their gallery - and have asked if I can take photos of both the men's and women's teams. So, of course, I smiled and said yes. Inside, I was doing a happy dance - and then the thought ran through my head - they will find out, I'm not a photographer. But so far, so good - some shots have come out great. But, games go over the weekend - both Saturday and Sunday, so that's basically my weekends gone.
His school team has asked if I can take some photos for their gallery and web page - which is a work in progress....this was a great excuse for me to run out and buy a new zoom lens - and hubby even agreed! Without any fuss!

So, my crafting has had to take a back seat for a few days, months, hopefully for not much longer - just means I need to get a bit more organised at home

So, if you had been holding your breath, wondering where I was, I apologise.
But, in all honesty, I just needed a few hours to myself so I can take a deep breath, smile at my son and tell him that it's not the end of the world, and still be the mum, wife, daughter, worker, sister, chef, taxi driver (very hard with no car!), laundry maid, and whatever else I am and just get on with my life - dull and uneventful as it is  LOL!

Jamey

Monday, April 25, 2011

Today is ANZAC day, and Easter Monday.

Today, my middle son L (also known as chicken boy!) was to march in the Henderson ANZAC parade - but they called it off due to the rain. So the RSA had a service only, to which I didn't go to.

Here is L in his uniform - he is a volunteer fireman (fireboy?) for the local station. (I like to tease him and say he's playing dress ups, hehe)



















This photo is totally spur of the moment - I was sitting in the car, it was raining, he had his hat under his arm, and just plonked it on for the photo,  and, he was grinning!

Last year, he was in the Air Training Corp, and did the dawn parade in the city. This is him:


















the one on the right hand side. He stood like that for the entire service, both the 6am and the 10am. I am so proud of him!

Anyway, it's also Easter as we all know, and yes, the Easter bunny (aka me) came, and as usual, left too many eggs.
I made this, just as a little something for the KinderSurprises.
































I saved an egg carton, peeled off the label, and cut it down to size for 4 eggs.
I had some Easter paper from a DCWV slab (the only issue I have with that is, Easter in NZ is in the autumn, not the spring as in other parts of the world, so the paper is wrong sorta not quite right), but the green print, actually went with the green carton. I used some SU ribbon cut to length to tie it up. I also grabbed some green ink (Mellow Moss) and inked around the carton edges and paper.

If I was a truly caring creative mummy, I would have spent more than 10 mins on it - I would have painted the carton, inked it, trimmed more suitable paper, and tied it prettily in a bow - not just tied, knotted, called it done!
And I would have purchased a smaller carton of eggs - a 4pack anyways, so that I didn't have the unsightly edges, but 4x eggs just doesn't cut it in my family! Neither does a dozen for that matter....

But, as its raining, hubby is sleeping, the cherubs all have lives and are busy, I'm gonna go and scrap.
Megan had some new products in store, and I grabbed a few of the papers (page 3) so I'm going to go down to the dungeon and play....

Jamey

Monday, April 4, 2011

A couple of weeks ago, there was a craft expo at the ASB Stadium - so off I toddled with P in tow to check it out. Well, that was an easy way to spend hubby's hard earned money!
I 'tried' not to spend too much money, but alas, I failed.
I 'tried' hard not to be frivolous in my spending, but alas, I failed.
I 'tried' hard to only buy things that I needed - but, I 'needed' a lot of things :)

One of the many things I needed, was this cute little die from Nellie Snellen. I mean, it goes perfectly with the SU scalloppy punch (I think it does)







So, on Sunday, I whipped out my new (to me) doggie stamp from Magnolia and created this delightful wee card. Yellow, is not one of my favourite colours, or even a go-to colour, but the sun was shining, autumn is coming, so why not have a little bit of sunshine! Actually, in reality, I thought yellow went ok blended with the colouring in of the dog's fur!
This is the finished card:














I like it. I'm actually happy with it - go figure!

Anyway, Desperate Housewifes is on and Wisteria Lane is calling my name....

until next time,
Jamey

Sunday, March 20, 2011

Last time I posted, I mentioned it was a special birthday for Alina - she turned 1!
And, I also mentioned I was a tad late with her birthday card. Well, I finished it, and here it is......(drum roll please)
...and Janine, NO PEEKING!





































I "christened" 2 new stamps - from Lili of the Valley (an English company) who does the cutest images. Both the image and the text are from there.
I "christened' the paper as well - a piece from Kaiser, the Magic Happens range
I 'christened" some Stampin Up cardstock - probably not even in the current range - orchid opulance (or is it lovely lilac??) Something I have not used, ever! The matching ink is one of those spots, and the ink has leaked and has covered the whole label, so I truely do not know the exact colour.
The rest of the stuff is Bazzil white cardstock for the base, and some silver paper I had left over from another project. Same with the flowers!

I haven't written in it yet - that is happening just before I pop it in the post to little Alina, along with her gift!

I love the way this card turned out - something I don't normally do, and just a lil bit fancy - with the glitter an all, but I like it!

Hope your week goes well...until next time

Jamey

ps - I love the comments people leave - they bring a smile to my face! Thank you :)

Sunday, March 13, 2011

So, again, it has been awhile since I posted here. I'm sorry
This is where I burst out in a Gary Glitter song - didya miss me, yeah, while I was away, didya hang my picture on the wall! lol

Anyway, last month Megan sent me out the kit with her wanting me to do 'off the page projects'. The pressure, the stress, the fun!
Soooooo, I made this:


















and this:










and this:









and this as well:
























The last one, I had help doing. P was watching me, and wanting to help. So I grabbed 'my' coloured pencils and asked her to colour in the paper which she did gladly. She did a good job too!

All the papers are from the MM range of papers - Just Chillin', and bazzill cardstock - which I absolutely love! Check out the newsletter from Megan - newletter as there are not just my projects, but projects from the other talented design team. Such a mix of talent and ideas......

I have had a couple of weeks off from scrapping, but am into it again. I have started a card for my friend Janine's little girl who turned 1 in February.  I'm slack, I know, but the thoughts are there - Happy Birthday Alina!

Jamey


Sunday, February 20, 2011

I am so, so, sorry that I have been slack about my lack of posting to my blog!
As we all know, life happens, and it really happens around here....my mum moved in. A few months ago I mentioned that we built a room for the eldest boy (a.k.a. Doofus) out the front, and then I moved my scrap room downstairs, and my scraproom become my mum's room. Well, after the painting, moving of furniture, new curtains, cleaning etc - life is now sorta settled down again, but my mother, much as I love her dearly, is the QUEEN of guilt trips!

So, when I want to duck down into my scrap room and create - I can feel her heavy sighs, her glances at the dishes, the pointed looks at the washing....and I come back upstairs and do the dishes, fold the washing, clean the showers - my house is pretty damn clean at the moment, but hence, the lack of projects.

And then, I log onto my blog, and EEK! I have an award.
I'm flattered
I'm aghast
I'm surprised, and even a little bit of
I'm scared!

Mandy, just keeps blowing me away - first the lovely comments, then a surprise gift, and now an award.....




I'd like to thank MANDY for this lovely blog award. In accepting I had to sign up to a few little rules...


1) You have been tagged, do you want to accept? YES! then create a post on your blog and post the love blog photo.

2) Link back to the person who gave you the award and say if you accept.

3) Choose 3-5 of your favourite blogs to tag, link these in your post too and tell the lucky people they have been tagged.


As the aim of this award is to bring unknown good blogs to light, please don't tag somebody with 3000 followers.



The people I would like to pass this award onto are





Jamey


ps - now that mum has gone out - I'm off to the scraproom to play....





Thursday, January 27, 2011

Oopsie - I am so bad! I forgot one other member from the design team for Better Scrapbooking.

 Tracy 

Forgive me Tracy, it wasn't intentional!

Jamey

Tuesday, January 25, 2011

Well, as mentioned yesterday, I made it onto a Design Team! yay me! (insert happy dance here, lol!)

Better Scrapbooking has a new design team for 2011!
Check out the other members of the team - there are some very talented, creative and clever ladies out there -
Karen

Sharon

Pat or Glenna (depends on the day as to which name she will answer too)

Theresa

Chrisste

Jennie

Well, for  my first 'assignment' I was given some papers from Imaginisce - a cute dinosaur range -  Dino Roar, and some Bazzill cardstock (LOVE this stuff!)


























































Every little boy (and some not so little) wants to be an adventurer and discover dinosaurs, fossills and the such - so they need a book to write down their findings, and draw maps, and dinosaur skeletons....you know what I mean!
So I whipped up such a book - and lookie lookie, there are even dinosaur footprints stomping along on each page and the cover!

Products I used:
Bind-It-All - covers & coils
Dino Roar - rumble & roar
Snag'em stamp - dino print
Versa Mark Ink - pinecone
Prism cardstock - Intense Kiwi
Over the next couple of days, I will upload the other items I made using Dino Roar, and if you pop over to Better Scrapbooking you will see this range of product and other products.


Jamey

Monday, January 24, 2011

There are some lovely ladies in blog land!
I have had the pleasure of 'meeting' one such lady - Mandy! (and when I say meeting, you know I don't mean face to face, but via blog & email)
In the post, I received a envelope from England - Mandy had made a little notebook, bookmark and a delightful butterfly card - and sent them to me. Well, the notebook and bookmark are for P!
Isn't Mandy creative......



















































...and aren't I lucky to receive such a thoughtful surprise!
Check out Mandy's blog, and also the challenge blog where I actually 'met' her!

Next post, I am going to share some exciting news....I made it onto a design team! (oops, I just shared the news, lol!) But, I have already done my first 'job' for the team - and I am allowed to show it to you all.....but I will do that tomorrow....

Jamey

Saturday, January 8, 2011

I often check out another blog - Craft & Create - Challenge #9 was New Beginnings.
Well, off I went to make a calendar for 2011, and the challenge closed before I could finish it! BUT, the new challenge is Just a Note. That I can do, see....



This is (yet another) post it note pad that I have whipped up -
Feeling really clever, I used:
a post-it NOTE pad

musical NOTE paper and,
my JUST A NOTE stamp.

I got this challenge sussed, lol





Check out the blog, post a comment, do your own 'note' challenge, and let us all see it!
I'm off to finish a calendar......


Jamey

Thursday, January 6, 2011

I have seen secret squirrel notebooks for computer passwords on a few blogs I have recently visited.
Part of me thinks not a great idea, but then, I look at all the random pieces of paper (not so) nicely placed around our computer, and I can see the logic of having a password notebook.

I 'whipped' one up in the weekend, using up some scraps of paper and cardstock, and my trusty Bind-It-All. I even used some really, really old alpha stickers!






































(I am not, as you may have noted, 100% computer savvy - it took me ages, and I mean ages to make the little pages in a word document. Then, to copy it another 3x times onto the same piece of paper, and to make it look even - well, that took all the skills I had, and then some.)


Until next time,
Jamey

Saturday, January 1, 2011

Over at the 2 peas site, they have a thread going - share a organising tip.
Well, there was a tip (several actually) that I really liked - it was simple, practical, achievable (most important of all) and cheap!

Instead of buying different wrapping papers for birthday's, babies, anniversary's, engagements and Christmas etc, a 'pea' suggested plain kraft wrap and a coloured ribbon. It became a 'signature' wrap for that person.Well, that took my fancy, so much so, that when I popped out yesterday to Westcity to buy a couple birthday presents, I brought 2x (large) rolls of ribbon and a roll of kraft paper.
The results:


I needed a tag for the gifts - P helped me with the names, using some old alpha stickers I have - recognise the CM at the back??? - and I pulled out my cupcake punch from Martha Stewart to make a boarder. I must admit, I like this idea!

This is actually only 1 of the many ideas I have picked up from the thread - I am gonna try to implement some more other the tips from there! :)

Jamey