I am at home on a Saturday night once again. I don't know what is happening but I am going to blame the cold wet weather. It is so hard to get motivated to go out when it is so warm and comfortable here at home.

Also in my defence a lot of our friends are either away or not feeling the best and of course the Crows are playing tonight.

My Mum is here with us for a few days and my sister and her husband have been here and just went home this morning.

We did go to Legends Rock n Roll Club last night, Rave On were playing and it was quite good.

I had my class at Camelot this afternoon with 6 ladies attending. Unfortunately I have only got 2 more classes before I go away. The ladies seem quite keen to get together while I am away and keep their momentum going. I really enjoy saturday afternoons with the ladies.

I have finished all of my TAFE work except for the last major assignment. I have not had a chance to do anything towards it with my visitors here. Mum goes home Monday morning so I will be spending Monday, Monday night, Tuesday night and Wednesday day time to get something to take to TAFE on Wednesday night to see what the lecturer thinks in case it is not good enough and I have to do something  else. I have to have it handed in by the following Wednesday.

I have not got any new crafty stuff to show you so I am sharing some layouts that are a few years old. Isn't it amazing how we change....

This layout shows our friends house that we stay at when we go to the Riverland. It is a great house with fantastic views. It is going on the market soon so I guess our days of staying there are numbered.

These layouts are of the River Torrens in flood in 2005. We live pretty close to the River and Ray walks Daisy along there every day. I really love that we live this close to the river but I do not make full use of the facilities there. I wish I was keener on exercise......

This layout is about a gift that Cindy and Dave gave Ray & I when we had been looking after Charli on a Tuesday for one year. It was a complete surprise to us and shows just how thoughtful she is

These photos were taken at Tulka which is about 6km south of Port Lincoln. Mum had a holiday house there for over 20 years and we have spent some great time there. She has sold it now and lives in Whyalla. Ray and I spent 3 or 4 weeks there between spending a year travelling up the east coast of Australia followed by a year travelling up the west coast of Australia. We came home for Christmas and spent a bit of time with family and friends between the two. Anyway while we were there, there was a king tide and these photos show how high the water was.

I am off to enter some contact details onto my iPad so I can email people while I am away.

3 weeks on Monday before I leave

Thanks for dropping by
Till next time
Cheers
Julie

Have just finished the cover for my Switzerland Smash book and thought I would share it with you.

First a few thoughts....

Outside my window it is overcast and dull. I have had washing on the line all day and it is still not completely dry, even though we have had no rain today.

I am thinking about doing an assignment for TAFE tonight. I really have to get these done and off my plate.

I am thankful for Ray. Over the last couple of weeks he has worked tirelessly on upgrading our window dressing in the two front room. Removing all the pelmets, making and painting new brackets to take the drapes, repairing and repainting the wall where the pelmets came from, washed all the windows inside and out and so on. I have washed all the net curtains and the drapes are at the dry-cleaners and will be ready to pick up on Friday. Because the drapes were originally hung from the pelmets they will now be too long so when I get them back I am going to have to take them all up. All that just to get rid of the pelmets from the front rooms.

I am wearing jeans, t shirt and wind-cheater.

I am going to cut out a flounced jacket to make at sewing on Thursday.

I am not currently reading anything. I have spent a bit of time browsing the e-book stores to put some books on my iPad to take away with me.

I am pondering..Cindy

I am hoping to get lots of things done and off my list by the end of this week although sometimes I think I am just going round in circles. When I do one thing it makes me realise there are two more to take it's place.

I am creating journals to take with me on my trip. I also have to create a birthday card for a friend who is having a party on Saturday night to celebrate her birthday

On my mind...toooooooo much

From the kitchen..Crown Mints. I have got a thing for them at the moment.

One of my favourite things at the moment is burning the beautiful scented candle Cindy gave me for Mother's Day

A few plans for the rest of the week. TAFE assessments, sewing, card making. Whoops no room in there for housework etc

A picture to share. My Switzerland Smash book. For this one I have painted the cover with Gesso, stamped the text onto the Gesso using Stazon Ink, then using some Imaginarium Design chipboard as a mask I applied the texture paste I had coloured with yellow acrylic paint, when it was dry I sprayed with assorted glimmermists. The ribbon is the ribbon that Cindy used to wrap my Mother's Day gift which I have tied in a bow and the flowers are 2 more that I got from the Camelot Clearance Shop.
The text is once again cut on my Cricut with the same cartridge as the UK book

Till next time
Thanks for dropping by
Cheers
Julie

Happy Mothers Day to all the mothers out there.

I have just got home from watching Charli do her swimming lesson and then out for brunch with Cindy and Charli. Very pleasant.

I had my mothers day with my mum last sunday but will ring her shortly to wish her a happy mothers day.

It has been a pretty quiet week. Friday night we went to the Legends Rock and Roll Club. 20 Flight Rock were playing. I quite like this band but some nights they seem to play a faster mix than others. We had quite a few dances and a pleasant night.

Last night we stayed home. I spent the night working on the cover of my Smash book that I plan on taking to the UK with me. I painted the whole cover with Gesso to start then I used a doily and some texture paste that I had coloured mauve with acrylic paint to create the raised doily on the right. I used an assortment of Glimmer mists on the background then added the punched strips of paper, music note paper and tissue tape. I happened to stumble across the flowers in Camelot's clearance shop and bought 6 of them in assorted colours, love them. The text was cut out using my Cricut and the Plantin cartridge.

I have got another one to do for the Europe half of my holiday. I have painted the background with the Gesso so far. Hopefully will do a bit more to it today before we go to the Lighthouse Inn for a couple of dances this afternoon.

My TAFE course is progressing. I have got one more assessment to do and the 2nd Major Project to do. We have to create a poster, DVD cover and a design to print on a DVD for the movie Catch Me If You Can. I have to have this finished and marked within the next couple of weeks so that if I have to re-submit I can get it done before I go away. There is a lot of work involved so I had best get to it tomorrow.

5 weeks till I leave......

Till next time
Thanks for dropping by
Cheers
Julie 

It has been so long since my last post that when I logged in to do this post I thought I had got into the wrong place, it is all completely different now. Ah well that is progress I 'spose. I am sure it will be better in the long run.

Ray and I have been to Whyalla for a week to visit Mum. We had a very quiet and relaxing time and got lots of bits and pieces done for Mum and a few odds and ends done for ourselves as well. I finished off a top I was making at sewing and altered 2 pairs of slacks. I also made a Mother's Day card for Mum and gave it to here last Sunday thinking it was Mother's day on the first Sunday in May, not so it is next Sunday. Anyway she liked it and I gave her a pair of Red Factor Canaries to go with it. I made a photo book for Charli to give to Cindy for Mother's day as well and told her to give it to Cindy last Sunday. Cindy was very surprised....

Ray has been at work today so I have had Charli for the day. She has got a cold and was pretty content to watch cartoons and DVD's once we got home from Pianorama and having an ice-cream and play on the play equipment at Mac Donald's.

My sister and her husband who went over to Perth are coming back tonight so I am picking them up from the airport soon. They will be staying overnight with us.

I have spent the day thinking about things I need to do before I go away. It is 6 weeks yesterday until I leave. Starting to get close now. I have started a list and will work through it as I get the chance and I am sure I will be adding plenty to it as I think of things as well.

I made the following pages some time ago now but as I have been away and haven't got any new layouts to share I thought I would show you these

I'm off to get my sister now
Thanks for dropping by
Till next time
Cheers
Julie

Saturday night and I am at home alone... who would have guessed.

I have had a great day today. I spent the day at one of Heather Jacob's classes making a book. I loved it. I am going to make another one using different papers just to see how differently it turns out.

Ray is DJ'ing at a birthday party in Waikerie tonight. He left at about 2:30 which means that I do not have a car. I caught the bus home from the class and it took 2 hours to get here. I did spent half an hour in the city getting a jar of texture paste to try a technique I learned at a class with Nat May on Monday night so really it took 1 1/2 hours to get home. Waiting time for the buses took a fair amount of that time. No wonder people do not want to use public transport, when I drive there or home it takes just under half an hour.

My sister and her husband came and spent the night with us last night on their way to Perth to visit their son. They came to Legends with us, the band was The Wild Ones and I really enjoyed their music. Ray and I had lots of dances and my sister and her husband said they enjoyed the music and watching all of the dancers.

Should have went to TAFE on Wednesday night but because it was Anzac day there was no class. Bit sorry to miss it but was not really feeling like going so turned out pretty good.

Some thoughts...

Outside my wind... it is pitch black and cold. I have just finished washing some sheets so I am going to head out there and peg them out.

I am thinking... about what colour I will do my book in or weather I should work on the next page for my Switzerland album

I am thankful for... my family and friends

I am wearing... my pyjamas, dressing gown and ugg boots

I am going to... go to see The Invasion at the Port Dock Brewery Hotel and then the Party Cats at the Lighthouse Inn tomorrow afternoon

I am currently reading... I am trying to catch up on the backlog of scrapbooking magazines I have. I bought the same magazine twice because I had not read the first one I bought.

I am pondering... The conversion rate of the Australian dollar to British Pounds and hoping that a miracle will happen and I will get a great rate before I go away.

I am hoping... Ray's mouth gets better and life settles down a bit.

I am creating... At sewing I am making a blouse and altering some 3/4 pants that are a bit too big for me to take to the UK as it is going to be the middle of summer when I get there.

On my mind.... All of the above

From the kitchen... Crown mints

Around the house... Ray has removed the pelmets from the windows in the front of the house. It looks so much better. Have to take the drapes to be dry cleaned and wash the nets.

One of my favourite things...  well three of them really

A few plans for the rest of the week... Going to the Adelaide Rock n Roll Club Tuesday night.

Some pictures to share... I am sharing a few layouts from a couple of years ago. These are all from our Tasmania holiday....

Going to go and make a start on some scrappin now. Ohhh better peg those sheets out first

8 weeks till I leave for the UK.   Yipeeeee

Thanks for droppin by
Till next time
Cheers
Julie

One week since my last post...

I have officially given up the April photo a day. I don't seem to have enough time in my day to find a suitable object and photograph it. Ridiculous isn't it... I don't like to give up on anything but this is one task that I am going to have to say good bye to.

I have had Mum staying for a few days. We have been shopping and crafting. I have made a folder to keep my dies (used in my Big Shot for scrapbooking projects) in.

I have finished my next double page for my Switzerland album. This page has a pocket behind the top photo for all the excess photos and diary page. Both of the photos lift up to expose another one or two photos inside

I have used my CWS Chicken wire mask with black glimmermist on the background, stamped the blue paper at the top with a Kaisercraft bubble wrap stamp and embossed the die cut shapes. The photos on this page also lift up to reveal more photos inside.

There is not much on tonight so we probably won't be going out. I am thinking I might nip over to the Video store and get a movie to watch.

Thanks for dropping by
Till next time
Cheers
Julie

A quick post before I go and cook dinner for the birthday boy.

This is a double layout I did today as part of my Switzerland album. Unfortunately I am not making much progress with this project so I have to get my act together and start getting a few pages finished. So here are page 4 & 5. For the background I have used a picture I tore out of a travel brochure. The pocket on the lefthand page hold my diary pages for those dates and extra photos, entry tickets and other momentos.

Gotta go now so will be back in a couple of days with my photo a day picture...day 14 is How you feel today, that may be a bit of a challenge.

Till next time

Thanks for dropping by

Cheers

Julie

I know I am a bit behind with my photo a day but here we go with a catchup....

Day 7    Shadow

These are the shadows in my back garden at this very moment

Day 8    Inside your wallet

Nothing unusual here, cards and cash.

9 Younger You  

This photo was taken in 1980. I was 27 years old..........

10 Cold

This photo was taken during my trip to Switzerland at the top of Mount Pilatus, just outside of Lucern on 7th May 2009. We went up in the cable car had a delicious lunch at the summit restaurant and then caught the cable car back down. It was one of the many highlights of my trip

11 Where you ate breakfast

Well those that know me know I do not eat breakfast. Breakfast for me is a glass of Diet Coke and a Cup of Tea. This is where I drink my breakfast while I check my emails and surf the net on my iPad.

12 Stairs

This photo was taken in a shopping arcade in Sydney when we were over there of the New Years Eve fireworks on the harbour.

Well that is it for today. Tomorrow is Ray's birthday and we are going to Legends tomorrow night. The band is The Blue Comets. On Sunday a group of us are going to the Glenelg Surf Lifesaving Club for brunch to celebrate his 59 years on this earth.

Thanks for dropping by
Till next time
Cheers
Julie

Good Friday....

A lazy day today. Ray & I took Daisy for a walk along the beach at Grange. It was overcast and windy but we really enjoyed it. Daisy was running around like a puppy.

Apart from that I have finished off the top I was making at sewing on Thursday and spent too much time on my iPad playing stupid games.

Cindy and Charli are coming around for dinner tonight. I think I will order pizza.....

Here are my photos for day 5 and 6

Day 5 Tiny   The flowers on this bush are so tiny but completely cover the bush when it is in full bloom.

Day 6    Lunch.  Yummmm Homemade chicken and vegetable soup. Made with my own delicate hands no less.

Have a happy Easter
Thanks for dropping by
Till next time
Cheers
Julie

More photos for the Photo A Day for April

3. Mail - I usually get heaps of mail and reams of junk mail but because I wanted to take a photo of it I have got nothing. Instead I have got a photo of my letterbox where all the mail is collected from.

4. Someone who makes you happy. Today that someone is Daisy.

I have spent the day doing nothing today. I seem to have way too many of those days lately. I start off with good intentions but end up spending too much time on my iPad or blog hopping or as in today watching programs that I had recorded. I had promised myself I would get up to date with my TAFE projects today but I have not even looked at that. I am going to start now. I have got TAFE tonight and then 2 weeks off. I have to have my Major Assignment finished by the beginning of lesson first week back after the Easter holidays. Better get onto it.

Till next time
Thanks for dropping by
Cheers
Julie