All I want for Christmas...

Considering that I am lucky enough to already {or should I say still...} have my two front teeth...is this.
Isn't it just perfect??? I want one JUST like this - with all my family's names engraved. Mmmmmm...

BUT...The problem is that...{...}...I've recently discovered this & want a fair amount of what's in there!!! What's a girl to do under such circumstances??? Decisions, decisions ......................................... okay...I can't decide................................................................maybe I could have both??



{CLICK on the image above for FULL effect...for some reason it is coming out long & skinny on Blogger but if you click it you will be able to view all the yumminess in it's true glory...}

What do you think DH will say? How much is too much?

Oh I am so glad I came up with the name "Scrap Addict" because, really, it IS quite fitting...
Okay, enough of that now, I have 2 cuties to share with you...first this one...

Isn't he cute?!? Feel free to save him & use him on your blog if you want ;-D Next up is this one below. Now this I can REALLY relate to...LOL!!! Lucky for me, I have a very understanding DH who also happens to be a not too shabby chef...



So to all of you "out there" {sounds like a line from a sci-fi movie...} I hope you have a wonderful weekend enveloped in whatever it is that works to bring you joy & fulfillment {provided it is legal of course} hehehe...

Just One More Day...

Until this happens! So super excited about it I can hardly sleep - talk about delirious with excitement. This girl is my kinda talented in this type of very cool way...and have you noticed how the "real artists" in this industry are also the nicest people??? Their work is as authentic as they are.

Our supplies list is pretty complex though so I spent an hour this afternoon at a local fabric supply store trying my best to improvise & find some suitable product to work with. The layout is fabric-based so I needed to buy fabric, trims & "mesh" {could only find that in black so am off to gesso it now then can paint it to match on Friday when I am "in session" LOL!} I love online classes, they are just the funnest. I am not one of those great participators that has nothing else to do but post endlessly in the forums, too much going on in my life for that, but I get my money's worth behind my scrappy desk that's for sure...

If you've missed the details for this class follow the link provided, for USD$5 how can you go wrong??? And with such a talent to guide you I think we can only learn good things on Friday! Just for fun I took NINE photos of my divine stash haul. It looked so yummy I could have just eaten it...I have a long history with fabric {taught myself to sew as a teenager then studied Fashion Design & worked in the industry for some time before starting a hand-printed textiles business} so FABRIC + SCRAPPING = HEAVEN ON EARTH FOR ME ;-D

Taking all these photos just had me wanting to start a local kit club...I reckon I could do quite well digging around discovering stash that could help us emulate the brands that are not available here, Prima, etc, with a little ingenuity. I also discovered these absolutely gorgeous & inexpensive face-cloths, packaged to the enth degree of cuteness, as desserts, cupcakes & swiss-rolls. I was with the kids who were getting decidedly restless so just bought a couple today, but I am definitely going back tomorrow to get some more for Christmas stockings & gifts for all the special women in my life. I just love these - talk about an original gift!

Linky Link Day!

I read a tonne of blogs & have learnt such a huge amount in my relatively brief relationship with the internet, that sometimes I feel like my head is going to explode! I like to share & want to "give back" too, so I "do my bit" here on my blog but at times I can't help but feel seriously inadequate. There are such rocking blogs out there that mine feels miniscule by comparison, but I 'spose we all have to start somewhere right? I am just glad that I have begun this journey...it is definitely the road I want to be on.

I have some INCREDIBLE links to share with you today. This girl is a phenomenon. Her site is PACKED full of information & she only set up her blog a few months ago. She knows EVERYTHING about EVERYTHING from scrapbooking, to photography, to publishing, you name it, she can tell you how to do it...follow her if you really want to get to know your stuff...and check out those links in her side-bar...awesomeness in the extreme!!! And the layout of that blog...phew...I think it may have converted me to Typepad. Not now, but I think that day is coming...

Okay, next up is this blog. Now I'm no stamper, but these stamps could win me over, if only you could get them here. Or anywhere for that matter. They appear to be tricky to get hold of. Even from them! I have had a bit of correspondence & not made much headway but the blog makes for a great quickie looksee every few days & there is an awesome amount of talent hanging around there, by way of their design team & their guest designers. Even without pressing a stamp to paper ever, you would benefit from keeping an eye on that blog.

Now this blog is inspiring! If you read the tabs at the top & get the background you may just be hooked like me! And if you're starting to dabble in hybrid, then there is a free download weekly! Okay, lately it's been very American in theme so not really usable in my neck of the woods, but that's just due to this time of the year, with Thanksgiving & Halloween not being widely celebrated in Africa. Kollette works for BPS & I would love to take one of her classes "in another life" {ie:- when I have the time}.

Now for a manufacturer I am just loving right now. These folk have some great simple designs. So versatile. Of course can't get any of them here either but anyhoo...you know I always make a plan & I have one cooking on this one too! Now you know a post isn't really a post without a photo, so here it is, courtesy of the Colour Lovers blog...



I know what you're thinking...what has a clock got to do with anything, but I just thought it was great, especially when you realise that you can see the numbers {well, the 12, 3, 6 & 9 anyway} in there...pretty cool if you ask me...

Grade 11 Party Layout & something really pretty...

Up early surfing this morning & found this beauty. Can't wait to order some of that & get creating. To me that is really pretty...

I scrapped some more this weekend, & again yesterday, yes I am on a roll...but that's how I go, fits & starts & I have had some recent "real life" issues that have come in the way of my creating lately & I've missed it. Although I pay with the sorest feet on earth {I stand while I scrap & have an ongoing "health issue" with my feet since I fell down a flight of stairs 4 years ago...} I love to scrap. I forget about EVERYTHING. I don't have music playing. Just silence. I get "lost in my own world" & I love it. There is nothing like it, never has been & maybe never will be...

So here is my last layout left from last week. "Grade 11 Party".

Basic Grey backing paper. Basic Grey Porcelain "Dresden" printed paper. K & Co - Que Sera Sera doilie. Prima "Elysee" velvet floral ribbon. Making Memories jelly flowers. Making Memories tiny ledger alphas. L'il Davis Designs - Tinseltown Chipboard Alphabet - Snow. Prima "Say it in Pearls" self-adhesive flourish. Jennie Bowlin Rhinestone buttons - black. Prima "E Line" pearls. Sasafrass brad. 2" organza ribbon - local craft store. Basic Grey Porcelain Journaling Card {Yummy ingredients or what???!!!...}

I had lots of photos but none of them were great quality so I just wanted to create one single page {I ordered dozens of good quality ones that were professionally taken at the dance but I was experiencing "camera issues" when I took these & was also faced with a bunch of unwilling subjects who wanted me to "go away" LOL...} So I created an A4 sized collage in Picasa. Despite not wanting to cut up my doilies I have thoroughly enjoyed doing so {& feel better now that I've done it as their price is nausea inducing...}

Despite hating the photos I am really happy with how I managed to edit them & scrap them. The doilies I just "had to have", even though I had no idea how to use them, have really zhoozhed up my pages & I love the look of the gathered ribbon peeking out from the other side of my layout. The individual flowers I just cut from the length of Prima ribbon & attached pearls to the centres. This layout was trouble free. It came together quickly & easily & ended up very effective.

The L'il Davis chipboard alphas are ancient but were perfect for this layout. Essentially the colour scheme here is red & yellow with a touch of green but because the colours are so muted it is far from garish. Chelsea's dress was very pretty & "Versailles" inspired {YDE - Gateway} - cream coloured with black-lace so I took my design direction from that.

Wish all my pages could just "fall into place" like this one did for me...and NINE photos on a single page...now THAT is really good going & I still managed so squeeze in lots of bits & pieces so I'm happy!

Random "Stuff"...

This blog is primarily for my scrapping adventures...layouts created, stash hauls, etc...but I've read a couple of posts outlining "stuff" for the month & I thought they were kinda cool, so here is my take on "what's been happening" for me this past month {October}...

What I've been reading:-

If you've been following my blog for a while now you'll know I'm a prolific reader, but that I don't read books! Or should I say, I don't read novels! Crazy apparently...but I do read a lot...this month I've been reading Creating Keepsakes
Scrapbook Inspirations
Scrapbooking Memories
and lotsa blogs. Right now, I am enjoying delving into the archives of this blog for in depth info on photography. This is a great blog BTW. The best "people photography" that I have ever come across...

I "follow" various magazine, manufacturer, kit company, scrapbooking & photography blogs, plus a smattering of various "creative lifestyle" blogs & about a dozen "social" blogs {where I just enjoy a good natter & learning about life from someone else's perspective}. This is a blog you should definitely add to your reader. The posts are easy to follow because they are usually a week or two apart, but the content is always awesomely creative. I'm not going to turn this post into a total link-sharing extravaganza because I need to move on to the next post, but if you love reading about scrapbooking in an interesting & personal context visit here. This girl is a darling & her blog is a visual feast of beautiful photography, beautiful people & beautiful work & her husband is a hilarious writer - his post on her blog here is the funniest post I have EVER read on any blog, anywhere.
I have also just bought a book of Quotes, and am enjoying working my way through the 2000 quotes contained therein.

Movies & TV shows I've been watching:-

Don't "do" TV generally as that's my pc/bloggy time or my extra scrappy time, but Thursday evenings have become a bit of a TV night lately. It starts with "Gavin & Stacy", moves on to "Extras", then onto "Drop Dead Gorgeous" then onto "The Real Hustle", all of which I enjoy, but don't always make it right through to "The Real Hustle" as that ends well after midnight. My DH was schooled in the UK & my mother is English {only moved out to Africa in her late 20's} & I have always had an affinity for all things English, hence my enjoyment of my English viewing night.

Movie-wise I am very blessed to live 20 minutes away from a complex with 20 cinemas, so am never short of good movies to watch & usually go out once a week with DH to "catch a movie". Now to try to remember what I've watched lately...

Looking for Eric - a low-budget movie starring Eric Cantona himself {ex Manchester United Capt} - brilliant movie.

Whatever Works - too existential in theme to really embrace but a Woody Allen masterpiece nonetheless.

The Ugly Truth - a bit coarse & "adult" to have watched with my daughter {she wanted to see it - I had no idea what it was about - it did have a 16 age restriction but she is 16 so I thought it would be okay...} but I loved it nonetheless because it was very funny.

Last Chance Harvey - a must for Dustin Hoffman & Emma Thompson fans...brilliant movie but you need to be over 40 to really "get it".

Easy Virtue - period classic...it was cool...I enjoyed it...

The Informant - very clever movie...Matt Damon acted fantastically in it...

The Time Traveller's Wife...rubbish...hated it {based on a "brilliant" novel apparently, you see why I don't read them...}

Phew...7 movies...perhaps some of them were in September {just been on the Ster-Kinekor website to jog my memory LOL!}

Fun Stuff I've been up to...

Went on holiday to Botswana
Went to watch "Cats" en route at the Teatro at montecasino in Joburg...hated it but had fun watching all the bored kids peashooting each other with straw covers...
Movies with kids
Movies with DH
Househunting {can be hilarious...depending on the house...we've seen some catastrophes of construction believe me...}

A Challenge for "Category Stories"...

This is a layout I created today for a challenge at Category Stories. As you can see I loved every minute of it! Next week I will post my full range of snapshots & close-ups, supplies list, etc, but for now I just need to provide a link before 11.59 CST time so this is it!


More on this one soon!

Definitely an "Out of the Box" layout for me...

I "followed" a sketch for this layout {flipped it...} - the one above from this month's selection at Pencil Lines. I don't "do" circles generally...why I don't know...just don't gravitate towards them, so I did this as a personal challenge - to "stretch"' myself. The end result is kinda weird, but anyway! Another layout done...

Printed paper:- Prima "Delight" {Harmony Collection} Backing paper. Floral d/s paper:- Prima "Breeze" {Harmony Collection}. Alpha stickers:- American Crafts Thickers - Typo - Mustard. Flowers:- Prima. Velvet floral ribbon:- Prima Elysee Collection. Polka dot ribbon:- American Crafts. Gemstone Brads:- Chatterbox Deluxe brads {Fabulous Collection}. Paper flower with bling centre - Sassafras. Computer journaling & smaller circles:- various offcut papers.

BTW Jelly Tots are local sweets that are somewhat of a South African institution here...tiny little sugar-coated jelly sweets that are very popular with young & old alike.

They are brightly coloured - hence my rather bright colour choice!

I gathered the ribbon up by simply folding it along the circumference of the circles onto some pre-applied double-sided tape then secured it with some cellotape then readhered it to the base.

And there you have it...I added the paper Sasaffras flower with the blingy centre {above} & the glittery brads {spot the 4 on the layout...} as they look kinda like jelly-tots themselves. Happy Weekend to you all!