What have I been up to!

Hi there sorry I have been a way for a while I've still been checking up on everyone but I've been trying to get to bed earlier, feeling very tired and hot at the moment. Oh well I'm sure lots of us are hot at the moment and tomorrow is the start of Summer, I'm really a Autumn or Spring person, I just don't work well in the heat.:(
So yesterday I had a full day spent at our local hall watching and getting my daughter ready for her dress rehearsal. We managed to get most things done right but still a few things to get so we'll be ready for the big day and night on Saturday. Because she is older she gets to perform in the matinee and the evening so it'll be a big day.

Today was our Christmas break up at stamping and one of the ladies was celebrating a birthday so we all made a card for her, this is my effort. I love the clean and simple blog and got the sketch idea from there, you should check it out there are lots of great sketch ideas.

Take care everyone and I hope to see you again tomorrow, what will you be doing? I'll be doing a bit of shopping for dancing and more Christmas shopping to do so I hope tomorrow I'll get most of it done. Talk to you soon.

Smiles Catherine xox
Materials
Stamps: SU In the Spotlight, SU Sincere Salutations
Ink: SU Real Red, SU Baja Breeze, SU Chocolate Chip
Cardstock: SU Whisper White
Accessories: Buttons, Kaiser Rhinestones, SU Scallop Edge Punch, Martha Stewart Butterfly Punch

Fast Friday!

Hi there! Just a quick post to say hi and to show you a little of what I've been up to. Yesterday I started this cute little skirt for a 4 year old who loves animals and when I saw it in my local fabric shop I thought it would be perfect for her, she isn't girly and loves to run around so I thought it would suit her. And because I love animals I thought I would show you what I found in my parsley the other day, a frilled necked lizard, so cute. And some sad news one of my chooks passed away today :(. I've had them for a couple of years but I think it was the heat rather than her age so that wasn't so nice to see. We still have two girls in the chook house but I will miss seeing my girl.

Tomorrow I'm off to the city to do some Christmas shopping with some of my friends for a yearly shopping trip. There will be four of us tomorrow wandering around with all the other shoppers, I have a list so all I have to do is try and stick to my budget. Talk to you tomorrow, I hope you all have a great day and stay cool!

Smiles Catherine xox

I'm back!

I thought I would stop by quickly to share a couple of pictures of my girls celebrating Christmas Carols at their school tonight. My Miss 10 plays the flute and so was performing tonight and she did a wonderful job I was so proud of her. Miss 5 had a blast singing to the Australian version of Jingle Bells and dancing hoping to be picked to get a candy cane, she did get that candy cane she wanted. Enjoy the photos, it's just the start of more Christmas events in our house! Bye for now.

Smiles Catherine xox

Raspberry Suite #19

Hi there I just thought I would stop by with a card that I made for my sister in law last night for her birthday tomorrow, nothing like leaving things to the last minute.(lol) So her card is in the post with a gift voucher for some pampering which she deserves. I love a bit of a challenge and it helps to get the creative juices flowing so I thought I would give Dawn's Colour Challenge #19 a bit of a go. I haven't worked with these colours much and with no kraft, gee it was a challenge for me.(lol)

Anyway thanks for stopping by and taking the time to comment on my card, I hope to see you around again.

Smiles Catherine xox
Materials Stamps: SU Fifth Avenue Floral, SU Great Friend
Ink: SU Soft Subtles Markers - Certainly Celery, Bashful Blue, Almost Amethyst, SU Chocolate Chip, SU Pink Passion
Cardstock: SU Chocolate Chip, SU Certainly Celery, SU Bashful Blue, SU Pink Passion, SU Almost Amethyst
Accessories: Kaiser Rhinestones, Sam and Lucy Bling, Dimensionals, SU Scallop Edge Punch, Fiskars Apron Lace Punch, SU Certainly Celery Grosgrain Ribbon.

A Christmas Card to show you.

Each year I make my Christmas cards which I just love doing and for me I am happy to make all of them on just a couple of designs I just find that it's easier and also I figure that most people won't see each others card so it doesn't really matter. If I was organised then I would do a couple a week which probably would be easier but I didn't so here is my first Christmas card design for 2009. Thanks for stopping by and I'll see you all again soon.

Smiles Catherine xox
Materials Stamps: SU Curly Label Stamp
Cardstock: SU Kraft, SU Whisper White, SU Ski Slope DP
Ink: SU Real Red
Accessories: Buttons, Sticky Strip, Martha Stewart Glitter, SU Twine, SU Curly Label Punch, Fiskars Apron Lace Punch, Dimensionals

My Place and Yours - My Collection

Hi there everyone I thought I would play along with another fun challenge over at Pip's today. The theme this week is My Collection which was chosen by Kate over at Fox's Lane. So I thought I would share with you my childhood collection of rubbers/erasers. I haven't added to it for a long time but I love it because it holds many memories. My Nan and Pop travelled overseas in the 80's and brought back with them lots of erasers from their travels which I remember quite vividly. I won't tell you exactly when otherwise you might just guess my age (lol) but I thought I would share the photo of myself with my collection when they first arrived back from their travels. I can't remember what started the collection but I enjoyed finding unusual erasers, pretty ones and ones that smelt nice too! So thank you for stopping by and looking at my collection and I hope to see you again soon.


Smiles Catherine xox

A butterfly birthday!

Hi there! No craft has been happening today it's just been way to hot here. I did get up enough motivation to go to the gym though. I really did need to go since I haven't been in two weeks, I talked to my personal trainer hoping he would be kind to me but nooo he wasn't and boy was I tired after that. I only started the gym about 2 months ago, trying to get fit and to motivate myself I bought some PT sessions. I felt a bit funny at first but I'm glad I do them because there is no way I would push myself that hard!(lol)

My Miss 10 had a sleep over for her best friend her turned 10 on the weekend so a card was in order. Her favourite colours were light blue and pink so I thought I would share my creation with you. It always makes things a bit more interesting when you have a picture to look at.

Anyway thanks for stopping by I'll see you again soon.

Smiles Catherine xox

Materials

Cardstock: SU Whisper White, SU Pretty in Pink, SU Bashful Blue

Ink: SU Pretty in Pink, SU Bashful Blue

Stamps: SU Great Friend, SU Sincere Salutations

Accessories: Paper Piercer, SU Mat Pack, White Gel Pen, Dimensionals, SU Scallop Edge Punch, SU Scallop Punch, SU Bashful Blue Gingham Ribbon, Kaiser Rhinestones.

I love the weekend!

I just love spending time hanging out at home with my little family and being productive, it feels like I've achieved something good. We had a busy day outside cleaning the chook house, mowing the lawn, trimming the hedges and mulching the garden. It was hot but it is so worth it to enjoy everything looking fresh and tidy again. And to end the day dinner on the deck, grilled baramundi, mango, cucumber, homemade chips and fresh cherry tomatoes from the garden (and some sauce of course). After all that I'm feeling a bit tired and content so I'll say 'whoroo' for now.

Smiles Catherine xox

My Place and Yours - Through the front door

Hi there everyone I thought I would play along this week with the meme at Meet Me At Mikes. This week is to show you through my front door and the theme queen who came up with this weeks goodie is Shelley!

So I thought I would give you a sneak in my front door. We have two sets of front doors, one set that lead on to the porch and the next is into the house. This is the view from the first set of doors.

When we bought the house the door was a lovely dirty pink until we got it stripped back and then we stained it, not sure what colour now though. Above the door is another window which can be opened to let in more breeze and the leadlight in it was made by my husband's very talented and kind aunt as a gift to us. One day we might get the front door done but many years on and it is still untouched, maybe it will happen who knows there are always things to do to an old house but I love them!

Thanks for stopping by and visiting my front door. You can check out more over here at Pip's!

Smiles Catherine xox

Produce and Productivity!

Hi there! Today I had a quiet day with Miss 5 at home with a bit of a temp. She played quietly and was in good spirits so I'm not sure why she has a temp, maybe she is getting cold and just feeling run down since it's almost the end of school and it's a lot for a little person to go everyday.:( So my productivity wasn't today but was last night. The first card I have to share is one I made for my brother who recently just finished his second apprenticeship and I wanted to let him know how proud we all were of him! The second card is for my sister in law who is celebrating a birthday this month and her favourite colour is green so I incorporated that into the card. Also the CAS challenge this week on Splitcoast was to use white and one other colour so I thought I would give it a go, I really liked the challenge.At home I have just a small vegetable garden that I look after but not nearly as much as I should but with all the lovely rain that we have had here lately the veges are doing really well. I went down today to check on my zucchini plants and found this specimen as well as some tiny capsicums. I always get excited to see these veges growing in my back garden, it's so much fun. And I just thought I would show you the eggs I collected from my girls today, we've got three hens and had them for almost two years so I get 3 eggs every two days. We have more than enough and a bit extra to share with neighbours and my hubby's work mates.
Thanks for stopping by, I love it when you come to visit!

See you all again soon.

Smiles Catherine xox
Materials (Male)
Cardstock: SU Kraft, SU Very Vanilla, SU Chocolate Chip
Ink: SU Chocolate Chip
Stamps: SU Polka Dot, SU Say it with Scallops
Accessories: SU Jumbo Eyelets, SU Twine, Brown Grosgrain Ribbon, Nestabilities, SU Distresser Kit, SU Mat Pack, Hammer Embellishment, Dimensionals

(Female)
Cardstock: SU Whisper White, SU Old Olive
Ink: SU Craft White
Stamps: Baroque Motifs
Accessories: SU White Grosgrain Ribbon, SU Felt Fusion, Kaiser Pearls, Dimensionals

I love Chocolate!

Today I have been busy buying more fabric for a couple of projects for Christmas. I looked at my list and did a bit of crossing off, thinking I'm doing well but there are still so many more to do.:( Enough of my grumbling, I can't be the only one can I? One of my good friends has done all her shopping and wrapped them as well, I need to get a few hints from her for next year I think.

One thing I managed to make today was a slice and I thought I would share it with you. This yummy slice is White Chocolate and Macadamia Nut Slice, easy, quick and very tasty. Here's the recipe:

Ingredients
125g butter, chopped coarsely
180g white eating chocolate, chopped coarsely
1/2 caster sugar
2 eggs
1 cup plain flour
1/2 cup self-raising flour
3/4 cup coarsely chopped roasted macadamias
3/4 cup white Choc chips
1 tablespoon icing sugar

Method 1. Preheat oven to 160 degree celsius/140 degrees celsius fan forced. Grease 19cm x 30cm lamington pan; line base and long sides with baaing paper, extending paper 5cm over sides.
2. Combine butter and chocolate in medium saucepan; stir over low heat until smooth. Cool 10 minutes.
3. Stir sugar and eggs, then sifted flours, nuts and Choc chips into chocolate mixture. Spread mixture into pan. Bake slice, in oven, about 30 minutes. Cool slice in pan. Dust with sifted icing sugar before serving.

Happy baking and I hope to see you again tomorrow.

Smiles Catherine xox

Some catching up to show you.

Hi there! I hope you have all had a wonderful weekend, I have had a productive weekend and I wanted to show you what I have been up to. At Christmas I really love to give children gifts and I have some wonderful friends who have children. Christmas is a lovely time and for me I love to give each of them a little something but I don't spend a lot, I spend a bit more on their birthdays instead. This year I really want to make my gifts so my first project was to make some purses and fill them with little things for girls. Last night I was on a mission and made six purses using this tutorial over at Skip to my Lou, it was a late night but worth it to get some presents almost complete. I haven't filled them yet but I will show you when I am finished to give you some ideas as well. About a month ago I bought some pretty fabric and I was going to make my Miss 5 a pillow case dress and well I have gotten a bit side tracked and so haven't made it for her but I did today. It came together really easily because this is my second dress but I didn't make it big enough to last her for long, if only I added a couple of centimeters in the width then it would have been perfect. Oh well the dress will have to be for around the house, next time I will know.:(

The other day I went to my local stamping class and our teacher decided to give us a bit of a challenge. The challenge was to make a Christmas card with her choice of colours, use a punch, use two coloured ink, and embellishment and not to use white as the cards main colour. This was quite hard and the card I made I do like now but using pink and purple is not my usual taste, so it was fun. The added bonus was if your name got chosen then you won a stamp set and I was lucky enough to get picked!:) Well that's just about it for me today. I will leave you with this pretty flower that is on my front steps, not sure what it is called but it made me smile. See you soon.

Smiles Catherine xox

P.S. I almost forgot last week I showed you a hair clip holder that I made from an idea over at Tutti Frutti. Well they also have lots of hair ties and so after seeing this pretty idea I decided that I could use the same idea but use it for hair ties. I just used a ring from a scrapbooking shop, some eyelets and felt, simple and cute. To take the picture I just used my handles in my room but you can put it on anything, even just a simple hook.

The Creative Space of my two lovelies!

Good morning everyone this is an early post for me, I'm up of course, would love to sleep in though but I usually don't motivated to post till much later. Enough of the rambling today my two lovelies decided to be creative and I thought I would share their work. Miss 5 decided to get the box of Lego out which she hasn't played with in a while (which was her Dad's when he was little) and Miss 10 decided to join her. The first photo is of both of them and the second is Miss 5's creation not sure exactly what she decided to call it but there are bridges, a tower and lots of buildings. The morning before school was so nice, I love to see them playing together so well and being happy and creative. Thanks for stopping by and go and check out more fabulous spaces over at Kirsty's.

Smiles Catherine xox

Thank you Retromummy!

Today I was lucky enough to get a lovely parcel in the mail from Retromummy filled with some beautiful bamboo and cotton to knit with, pretty knitting needles and two hair clips. Thank you so much Corrie for these lovely gifts and for the extra special hair clips that my Miss 10 has been wearing in her hair since I gave them to her, they are very sweet. Corrie had a little giveaway on her blog and I needed to give her a joke for her little girl Keira. My Miss 10 collects jokes and writes them in her book and when I saw this joke I thought it would be perfect: What does Ariel put on her toast for breakfast? Mermalade! A cute joke and perfect for a little girl. That's about all my news for today, I was a bit motivated and went and bought more things to make Christmas presents so when I have made something I will surely show you.

Have a good night whatever you get up to!

Smiles Catherine xox

Some Skirts for you!

Hi there, long time no see! Sorry I haven't been around for a couple of days I just have been trying to get my head around Christmas and trying not to panic. I really want to make Christmas presents this year and have jotted down some ideas but I am feeling a bit overwhelmed and when that happens I usually don't do much at all. I have been on the internet checking out everyones wonderful work and pretty much avoiding the things I should be doing. On Saturday night I did have a moment of motivation and I ended up making both my girls a skirt to wear out to lunch with my family. It's the first handmade bit of clothing I have made for them and I was really a bit nervous about how they looked but they both liked them which was good. I used a New Look pattern for the skirts and although the pattern only goes up to size 7 I increased it to a size 10 for my oldest daughter. They were fun to make so I will use this pattern for Christmas presents, it also comes with a short pattern as well so maybe I could make some of those for the boys. I find making presents for boys really difficult, not sure what I will make for them yet. Thanks for coming by to visit and I hope that I can stop by and post a bit sooner than what I have been doing lately.

Have a wonderful day!

Smiles Catherine xox