Australasian Blog Hop - October 2019 Hawthorn

Well hello!
Welcome to our Australasian Blog Hop for October!
Did you arrive here from Maz's blog or are you a regular visitor? Either way I am happy to see you here and to showcase this month's Close to My Heart feature paper pack "Hawthorn"

I adore the colours in this one - rich Autumnal tones (which perfectly match a lot of my wardrobe)  Clearly I am not the only one who loves these colours as at a recent Close To My Heart Event several of my friends and our beautiful president were all wearing Hawthorn colours!

It really is a very versatile and easy to use pack and I love how it works for more masculine pages too!

First up, the Craft With Heart Subscription pages - if you haven't yet signed up for Craft With Heart I really can recommend it.  These pages come together so quickly and easily and really need only your favourite adhesive.  Because there are two double page layouts for each month you end up with a stunning album at the end of the year for less than a dollar a day!  You may notice that I rotated the pages to work for my portrait photos. 

Next are pages from our Make it From Your Heart Volume 3 page 6. 

This is a great layout for adding flip flaps to get extra photos onto your page.  I love the way the leaves from this month's Stamp of the Month worked in so well on this one (and how amazing is our new "Paprika" cardstock?)  The really great thing about this layout is that it really only needs one strip of 4 x 12" patterned paper and a couple of teeny strips - a great layout to do right at the end of a scrapping session to use up those last few precious bits!

The plaid in this pack works really well for my daughter's school uniform so it was easy to modify the Hawthorn Scrapbooking workshop kit to suit her school album.
Lastly a couple of quick, masculine cards using our stitched frames and the Hawthorn Cardmaking Stamp set (C1798) which has a great range of masculine images.  The thank you card used up some scrappy zip strips and offcuts from Hawthorn and Mix In papers and the "Thank" was cut out from the "Thankful" stickers in the Craft With Heart Subscription pages while the "you" was stamped.  I like to get extra mileage out of my scrapping supplies so if ever a title or embellishment doesn't work on its intended page then you just use it somewhere else!

I hope you enjoy using Hawthorn as much as I did.  Don't forget to put in an order with your consultant as this one will be gone for good at the end of the month!

Now hop on over to Lauren's blog to see what she has been busy creating.

Until next time,

Happy scrapping,

Nell

Taking Stock - October

Hello again! I have just come back from a glorious weekend in Tassie at our Close To My Heart Business Builders and then a week on the Eyre Peninsula with my family so I kind of feel like I need a holiday to get over the holiday but my love cup is certainly full!

I realise it has been such a long time since I updated the blog and to be honest, like many bloggers, I've been thinking about whether I let it go or not.  Photos have been my big issue (Samsung at home/Apple at work - Luddite girl in a digital world etc) but I think I may have worked out a sneaky way around that so we will see what happens. 

I have missed the accountability of regular Australasian Blog Hops so expect to see them making a comeback!

Anyhow, along with a few photos, here's what I'm up to:

Making : a mess - actually multiple messes all over the house as I try to do lots of last minute things before school starts tomorrow
Cooking : pork roast for tea
Drinking : copious cups of coffee in my new CTMH mug (love it!)
Reading: "The Expected One" - kind of similar in style to "The Historian" with shades of "Da Vinci Code" - not hooked yet but it is well written
Wanting: a holiday to get over my holiday
Looking: at the lavender outside the kitchen window which seems to have gone nuts while we were away
Playing: Stacy Julian podcasts on my phone
Deciding: to be more intentional (about my teaching and my business and my relationships with the teens)
Wishing: I had just 2 more days of holidays 
Enjoying: the blackbirds' antics out the window
Waiting: for lots of lovely new teaching resources to turn up in the mail
Liking: that I got to see a little bit of Hobart before I flew home last night
Wondering: how I got so lucky
Loving: That we are all home under the one roof and that hubby washed and changed sheets while I was away (it's the small things!)
Pondering: whether I will get some spinning time tonight
Considering: how to make the most of my day off this week
Watching: in between shows at the moment - just finished "Afterlife" and loved it, now not sure what to watch next. I haven't seen Better Homes and Gardens for a couple of weeks so I am wondering if I may finally have kicked that habit? Is it time for a new Friday night routine (gasp!)
Hoping: for an uneventful week at work (although it is a full moon!?!?)
Marvelling: at the unexpected strength of individuals in our community
Needing: to regroup and find some quiet reflective time
Smelling: pork roast (yum)
Wearing: skirts and t-shirts (my unofficial Karma East Summer uniform)
Following: teaching ideas on pinterest
Noticing: the weeds that have invaded with the warmer Spring weather
Knowing: my limits
Thinking: of the term ahead
Admiring: my friend Mel (an extraordinary human being)
Sorting: spelling sheets and lists of high frequency words
Buying: timers and counting games and big dice online
Getting: over a headache
Bookmarking: crochet shawl patterns
Disliking: waking up with headaches - think it might be time to go see my remedial masseuse.
Opening: Scotch Finger biscuits (nothing like them with a cup of tea for the ultimate comfort food)
Giggling: over Dan's "tick tock" that he created while I was away
Feeling: grateful for so many wonderful holiday memories
Snacking: on roast almonds
Coveting: beautiful wooden toys from Lyrebird
Hearing: gentle hum of the oven and the sound of Bathurst racing in the background
Knitting: trauma teddies for the charity project, a beautiful stranded yoke test knit, and hats for the market stall (slight addiction to Helix knitting at the moment - I seem to be a bit obsessive when I learn something new!)
Scrapping: a delightful new Christmas project from Close to My Heart
Grateful for: all of it; this beautiful life!

Until next time, I hope this finds you well, happy and living your best life!
Keep smiling,
Nell

This crazy chick got her "pirate teeth" in 3 separate dentist visits this holidays!

Helix knitting - the new obsession - perfect for using up precious scraps of sustainable merino

Coffin Bay - so good to finally get my Dad here even if the fishing wasn't great!

Close to My Heart Business Builders Australasia - how funny was it that my two lovely friends and I all turned up in the same Saffron colour! Love these girls and the positive influence they have on my life!

Mum and Dad brought my niece with them - such beautiful holiday memories for these two sweet cousins

Saying goodbye to these two never gets easier but we did have such a glorious time!

I got to play "tourist" in Tasmania last night (thank heavens for daylight savings!) This is the entrance to St David's park

Our beautiful Close To My Heart President, Monica Wihongi - I couldn't resist a photo when we are both wearing matching colours for this month's Hawthorn paper pack!  Monica has the rare gift of making every single person she comes into contact with feel special and unique. She frequently uses her presentations to tell me exactly what I need to hear at that moment in time! 

Moments like these make my heart soar - my Mum playing checkers with Mads and her cousin - just an ordinary, everyday moment made so precious by the fact that we don't get to spend much time with these two very often.

Taking Stock - Mothers Day Edition

Hello again! It has been too long hasn't it?  There have been some technical hitches (hello new computer) and a hiatus without my digital camera while it was holidaying with a friend in Japan, and basically a whole heap of life getting in the way, and me not being sure I had anything to write about.  Anyhow, a quick list to get back into the groove:

Making : a test knit - the Cadence Shawl by one of my favourite Rav designers -  I am on the border now and it feels like every row has a gazillion stitches
Cooking : nothing today! It was Mother's Day so my beautiful kiddos made pancakes with orange cinnamon butter for breakfast, and then cauliflower and bacon soup and raspberry chocolate tart with homemade truffles for lunch with the Grandies, and then my hubby did chips and bacon and egg and mushrooms for tea (because no one was really all that hungry!)

Sipping : decaf coffee
Reading: "Cousins" but then I am hunting out my old copy of "To Kill a Mockingbird" so that I can read it before I read the sequel
Looking: at my beautiful new bookcases
Listening: to the end of Shrek (playing in the background) - but most often Nora Jones or Van Morrison on Spotify
Wishing: I had more trt work coming in
Enjoying: A reasonably clean kitchen and loungeroom and a cosy wood fire
Waiting: For the electrician to install our t.v. above the fireplace so that we can rearrange lounge furniture the way we want it
Liking: The effort my kids went to creating a lovely day for their grandmother and I.
Loving: How thoughtful they are becoming
Buying: porcini and truffle salt from the markets (we have eaten almost a kilo of mushrooms since Friday - it is made right here in the hills and it is SOOOOOOO good!)
Watching: "Hunt for the Wilder People" (it was my Mothers Day request)
Hoping: the work situation picks up a bit soon
Needing: to sort out so many little things for my scrapbooking workshop next weekend
Wearing: leggings and skirts and boots, leggings and dresses and boots - my informal Winter wardrobe
Following: a lot of knitters on instagram
Noticing: how comfortable our new (old) couches are - I was given the Chesterfields my inlaws had when my husband was a little boy. I've always loved them.  They have that worn, warm, comfy feel and in the afternoon light the leather just glows.  I love them.
Sorting: donations for our Cancer Council auction
Getting: edgy about the amount of jobs to get done this week, and now I've found out that our tax is due too - gulp!
Saving: up to do the music room
Smiling at: my new antique basket and the beautiful succulent bowl that was made by a clever local 14 year old (both from Recreate at Mt Pleasant - which is just the most gorgeous little sustainable/cooperative shop)
Giggling: at the antics of my kiddos and their friends on our day out Friday
Feeling: warm and loved and appreciated by family and friends
Hearing: the steady sound of rain - oh, sweet, sweet sound
Obsessing: over what I am supposed to be doing with my life right now? About to start on a few new work ventures and not entirely sure whether to be exhilarated, terrified, or what?  It has been quite an emotional time to not be on staff at kindy this year.  I have enjoyed doing relief work back in schools after 17 years (even though it was scary) but I miss kindy terribly and seeing all the photos of kindy and bush kindy on social media has been torture.  

Wanting: to get back into blogging again properly (including photos!) and to get back into the blog hops.

I have a couple of big weekends coming up with our National Scrapbooking Weekend next weekend and the Spinners and Weavers Guild Open Day the weekend after that,

I hope you are keeping yourself busy too!
Keep smiling,

Nell

• 103
• 98

I Heart Us Australasian Blog Hop

Oooh! This one has such fresh, pretty colours and beautiful sentiments!
Welcome to our "I Heart Us" Australasian Blog Hop for February.
Did you arrive here from Megan's Blog or are you a regular visitor here? Either way I hope you will "hop" your way around following the links.  We love to share ideas with you all.

I found that the "I Heart Us" paper pack lent itself beautifully to quick, easy double paged spreads.
First up I wanted to share the Craft with Heart pages for this month.  I am absolutely loving how easy and effective these pages are.  Every month I have 4 beautiful, easy to customise pages to add to my album.  It is making it so much easier to keep up to date with my scrapping!

At a recent scrapping event a friend was working on an entirely different paper collection using the "Olivia" pattern (from our Make it From Your Heart books, featured on the Close To My Heart Blog in December)  I adapted it to work for the "I Heart Us" paper.  If you don't own our Make it From Your Heart books I totally recommend them for stunning patterns that work with any paper!  They are my go to when I am a bit lacking in inspiration.

 How awesome are our new cut-apart sheets? I love that they are such an easy way to embellish pages.  I have used foam tape to pop those flowers up (I love giving a bit of added dimension with foam tape or dots!)

So there you have it. Easy, happy pages with clear bright colours.  This is such a great paper palette to work with!  I paired it with Bluebird and Carolina cardstock, and Raspberry and Mint.
Enjoy your scrapping this month.
Now head on over to visit Maz and see what she has been creating!
Keep smiling,
Nell

Taking Stock February

Now that the kids are back at school and life has settled a little I thought it might be time for another taking stock post
Making : Lots and lots and lots of mittens (this pattern "Kidlett Mittenz" on rav - which is quick and perfect for scrappy charity knitting)  Most of my mittens take somewhere between 30-40grams of wool which makes them the perfect scrappy project

Cooking : Pork roast
Sipping : Pepper Jack shiraz
Reading: Actually in between books - just finished "The Glovemaker's Daughter" and haven't started the new one from the library
Looking: forward to a cooler week this week.  Bring on Autumn
Listening: to a lot of different things through Google on Spotify, most often Norah Jones and Van Morrison
Wishing:I had more kindy work
Enjoying: lots of knitting, and more time for papercrafting
Waiting: for Autumn
Liking: that the pantry is still clean, and the kitchen is not too bad, and the loungeroom is cleaner than usual
Loving: the anticipation of Fibre Feast and Bungaree (paid deposit for both this week) Crafty time with Crafty friends is always welcome
Buying: new curtains for the loungeroom and a new toilet seat for the downstairs bathroom
Happy about: my gorgeous new vintage 1930s retro teapot (a gift from my lovely cousin)
Watching: the new series of Call the Midwife
Hoping: I enjoy being back working in childcare - a bit of a change for me but looking forward to a baby fix
Needing: To get more acrylic wool to finish a blanket for AKWAK
Wearing: my pyjamas (lazy day at home) - but have really been loving wearing summer dresses
Following: The Close To My Heart Blog and lots of crochet people on instagram
Noticing: How much the weather dictates my mood
Sorting: so many things - my walk in, the kitchen, the laundry..everyone seems to be on a bit of a decluttering binge at the moment
Getting: anxious about the lack of regular income coming in
Saving: money where ever I can (I have really been pretty good at only buying essentials lately - although I did splurge a little when my cousin was in town and we did the touristy thing in Hahndorf and Strath last week - I found a quilt shop I didn't know about - that was dangerous!
Giggling: over silly comedy reruns
Coveting: a Canon Selphie printer - maybe for my birthday?
Hearing: the two big ones discussing MKR in the loungeroom - that show is disgusting! How can they let contestants be such poor role models?
Obsessing: over getting projects finished while our Cold Sheep group have a knitalong happening - I've knitted almost 4000 yards!
Grateful for: a midweek getaway with my boy.  The band we were going to see cancelled but we still had an awesome time playing tourist in Melbourne
Praying: my cousin's son makes a full recovery after a nasty car accident last night
Cherishing: time spent with family and friends.  Already a few reminders this year that life is short and you have to make the most of it.
Have a good week!
keep smiling,
Nell

Good Reads, Knitting, Liberty and Summer Days

Ah January..how I do love long lazy days at home.  I might love them even more this year now that we have aircon (LOL)

It has been a wonderful break.  Lots of knitting! I decided to step out of my comfort zone and embrace colourwork.  I got the Strange Brew book towards the end of last year and I have to say it really is an excellent resource and has made first attempts kind of fool proof.  After a couple of Strange Brew Hats I've been playing with the Fearless Fair Isle Pattern on ravelry.  Colourwork is so great for using up little scraps!  I think I am a bit addicted.

"Fleet" and a Fearless Fair Isle original both out of scraps!

I made "Kind" slippers for Mum and Gubby for Christmas - now I want to knit a couple of pairs in chunky homespun!

I have signed up for two stash busting challenges in an attempt to get wool out of stash.  One runs for a whole year and focusses on using what you have pattern wise too so rest assured that I will be popping in to show you what books I have been knitting out of from time to time.  I have just started a pair of 5 ply socks (Patons Bluebell in a lurid shade of purple - which I am certain would survive a nuclear explosion but is really not enjoyable to knit with) using Ann Budd's fabulous "Getting Started Knitting Socks" book.  I have been knitting socks for quite a while now but I do like that she gives patterns for all different gauges of yarn, perfect for my AKWAK knitting.  There is also some playing with sideways mittens patterns for AKWAK and I am waiting patiently for some non 30 or 40 plus days to finish the sleeve on my Isla cardigan.  Currently I have knitted more than 2000 yards since January 1st.  Even my non-knitting husband was quite surprised by that - he said "Basically you've knitted to the roundabout and back!"

The hot weather and long holidays have also meant lots of reading time.  I started with Clara Parkes "A Stash of One's Own" which was thought provoking and funny and just fab holiday reading.
We've had a few library trips so I have also enjoyed The Tatooist of Auschwitz (beautifully written so as not to be too heavy despite the subject matter), Four Seasons with a Grumpy Goat (a memoir about a tree change in Tasmania - light and funny), The Room on Rue Amelie (sad and beautiful love story set in World War II) and Little Gods (by a Melbourne based author Jenny Ackland - this one was really special, a vivid portrayal of an Aussie childhood - similar style to Tim Winton without being quite so prosey, thoroughly enjoyable)

The heat has really been knocking my garden around - my mornings are filled with buckets and hoses and cursing our terrible irrigation system.  There will be casualties.  The upside is that the heat has attracted common brown butterflies to the hebe.  There has been a kaliedoscope of butterflies for the last 3 weeks.  They are just beautiful!

Last but not least I wanted to show you a special gift I received from 2 lovely friends before Christmas.  They knew I was feeling down about not being on staff at kindy next year and wanted to cheer me up.  I have only ever been gifted one other quilt, made for me when I left Melbourne (leaving another job I adored) by the talented Jenny Grierson.  This second special quilty gift was carefully chosen to include brown shot cotton and..liberty..after a conversation where I had wistfully suggested that I would never have enough liberty to make a quilt.  Such a special gift and I love it so much. Thank you Kirsty and Narelle.  It still makes me smile every day!

So now we have hit that crazy point in the holidays where there is still so much to do and not enough time to do it in.  Before we know it school will be back and we will pick up the thread of our "normal" lives.
Happy last week of holidays to you!
Keep smiling,
Nell

The kids have been delightful this holidays - disappearing into the kitchen to make wonderful creations together!

Something Fierce Feature Paper Blog Hop

Welcome to our Blog Hop for the January feature paper "Something Fierce"  Did you arrive here from Shaunna's Blog ?  I hope you enjoy clicking through all of the links to see everyone's different takes on this versatile paper pack.  The colours in it are fabulous for our Australian Summer photos!

Sticker quotes look great in a stitched circle thin cut.  I have also used leftover cardstock and our numbers thin cuts to do the "12" in the corner.  Thin cuts are a fabulous way of turning scraps into great embellishments.

I just love the bright, clear colours in this pack.  They are easily customised to suit pretty much any photos.  This pack also works exceptionally well with our Carolina and Bluebird cardstock and ink. Don't be put off by the super-cute dinosaurs as you can easily avoid dino-themed pages (simply by turning the paper over!)

The bright primary colours in this pack make it perfect for fun kid's pages.

My cute niece is affectionately known as "T-Rex" so I liked adding the dinosaurs to her page!

This was my take on the Workshop Your Way layout - not a dinosaur in sight.

That is it for me this month - I may confess to being "all scrapped out" - I have just returned from a 3 day scrap retreat with some scrapping buddies and actually completed over 100 pages.  It feels good to be getting those albums up to date!

Now hop on over to Maz at Amazing Creations to see what she has been up to!
Until next time,
Happy scrapping,
Nell

Card Captions Stamp of the Month Australasian Blog Hop

Hello and welcome to our first blog hop for the year.
Did you arrive here from Shaunna's Blog?  Whether you are new here or a seasoned scrapper please enjoy hopping along to all of our blogs to see what we've been creating.  We love it when you leave us a comment too!

January's Stamp of the Month is an absolute must have.  I recommend a sentiments stamp like this one for every beginner scrapper/cardmaker.  It is a perfect addition to your "toolbox"

Confession time: I woke up super early this morning and rather than toss and turn got up and played while the rest of the house was asleep.  My daughter shares a bookcase partition with my scrapping room so I had to scrap on a corner of the kitchen table.  I crept in and grabbed a couple of blocks and my black ink and little tool caddy and the "Something Fierce" Workshop Your Way without waking her.
You may notice that all of my examples this month use only black ink and two blocks (a 1" block and a 1x3 1/2" block)  Most of my cutting was done just using my microtip scissors.  I know that this stamp set would work beautifully with any of the papers in our range but I wanted to keep to using Something Fierce.

I think I have mentioned before that I am big on teaching my kids gratitude.  We generally have a basket full of thank you cards easily accessible for them to write thank yous.  My son has recently lamented that "there are only girly cards left"  (meaning too many butterflies and flowers!) so these are to restock the basket.

Don't throw that sticker sheet away until you have thought about the bits that are left - the little zig zag borders are the bit left over after the stickers were removed.

Stamping directly onto the PML cutouts or pre-made journalling dies is a great way to add extra dimension to your work.

This stamp set is not just for sentiments - how cute is that little star?  I have been using "leftovers" from my Craft with Heart subscription as they coordinate perfectly with the feature paper pack for the month.

This one was made especially for a dear brave little girl who has an extended stay in hospital.  Paired with a set of our watercolours and a visual art diary it will be a perfect recovery present.

Sometimes it is great to have a couple of generic cards on hand.  This is perfect for a new job, new house, promotion, graduation, or any job well done!  I love the little dots to make an effective border.

Part of my strategy to get organised this year is to make Birthday cards for my friends and family and put them in a 12 month file under the month of their birthday.  If I mark in my diary the week I need to send cards (and to whom) then it should all work perfectly.  I will have two nieces turning three this year and one of them (Tiana) is sometimes affectionately known as Ti-Rex.

This is part of my strategy to send cards "just because"  All of my really best friends live interstate.  Catch ups are rare so when they do happen I want to be able to send a photo of that moment afterwards just so they know I am missing them!  Can you see the little scraps of cream paper under the dinosaurs? They are bits that are cut away from the sticker carrier sheet so that I can still stick my photo under the dinosaurs.

And I couldn't let you go without pointing out that this stamp set is not just for cardmakers!  Look at that border!? With sentiments like "hello" and "love you" it is also perfect for adding to your layouts.

So what do you think?  Hugely versatile and lots of fun.  The other thing I LOVE about this set is how easy Close To My Heart have made it for you to obtain it.  We have a brand new Seasonal Expression packed full of gorgeous new product.  Choose any of your favourite things up to $82.50 and this stamp is yours for only $8.50.  That is money well spent!

Happy New Year to you.
May your scrapping bring you joy this year!
Now click on this link to Doris' Blog to see what clever ideas she has been creating!
Keep smiling,
Nell