Snow snow snow

Snow snow snow, and lots of it. We woke this morning to 4 inches (10 cm). The phone rang hot and there was no school, yayyyyyy. But during the day it has snowed more and more and we ended up with 8 inches (20 cm) of it lying around by 4.00. Heres our outside chairs

This view is from our gate across the hills, just beautiful

The kids were in and out all day, making snowballs and throwing them at us, luckily the window was between them and my camera :)

As you can tell by Abby in her short t-shirt, it wasn't actually cold, I did manage to get her out of her shorts and then a skirt, so we comprimised and she could keep her t-shirt on if she put longs on, (wow, shes only 5, imagine the negotiation skills I'm going to need when she is 15?)

After lunch we decided to go out with a wool pack behind the bike. Wow, what fun we all had. The dogs came too and were running around like lunatics chasing the bike and rolling in the snow. Still not sure who had the most fun, but we ended up coming inside when the fingers started going numb.

Here's Jake going for a spill and he was laughing all the time. And he has Lionels gloves on too :)

Heres Ollys turnHe wasn't too happy at being thrown off and Abby having her turn,

But Abby didn't mind (here I was on the back of the bike to get this photo and I just missed her being sprayed with a shower of snow, just after this)

She thought it was great fun :)

Birthday gifts made

What a great birthday party it was. There was a magician there as well, and he was good, even had all us parents wondering how on earth he did some things. :) I ended up taking just Abby (it was meant to be the whole family, but Lionel had things to catch up on then Jake wanted to help him and so did Olly, so it certainly made the whole thing easy :) )

I brought a book and I also made this for her. Sorry about the photo, I had to take it this morning before I wrapped it up, and the photo doesn't do it justice at all. The buttons below the book are attatched to ribbon and to be used as a book mark.

And here is the card I made as well, again it looks so much better in real life than here.

Well the weather is turning to custard here now, and they have dropped the snow fall warnings down to 100 meters again. The Brass Monkey ralley is on in Oturehua this weekend too, so I hope all the motorcyclists are well equiped. Be careful on the roads everyone if your traveling. :)

Battening down the hatches

Well the weather forcast is terrible for this weekend, and I'm not concerned about it at all, plenty of coal and wood, nothing nicer than sitting inside by the fire, might even get scrapping done if that happens, I did say might. We have a 5th birthday party to go too tomorrow, Abby is so looking forward to it. I made a notebook personalised with her name (will try and get a photo of it tomorrow), which I know she won't have.
Just a quick update on layouts. Here is one I can share with you called "our Mary Poppins"
The journaling was printed out on acetate then I painted pearl paint behind it so that the journaling stands out just a little bit more. I've used the crafters template for the journaling spot (I love this template to bits, so versatile), I hope to do some 2 minute cards so I can share them with you using this template.

The flowers weren't quite what I wanted, so I used glimmermist on them, and it really does change them subtly (a bit contradictory I know ).Well that is it for now. I hope everyone has a safe queens birthday weekend, and if your on the roads, drive safetly :)

Proud yong Man.

We have one proud young man in the family. Why? Well they had another opening morning for duckshooting up central and Dad wanted to take Jake out, so Jake, Abby and I went up on Friday night. Olly wanted to stay so he could play rugby. Jake was awake at 3.30 in the morning wanting to know "if its time yet". LOL, luckily he went in to ask his Gran and Grandad not me LOL. After another 2 and a half hours they were having breakfast, getting guns and amunition out of the cabinet, getting food ready (they took enough for about a week LOL). And off they set. I on the other hand got ready to go and see my Nana in Ranfurly. She wanted her photos sorted out and I'm going to do her a couple of albums. I want to do it so that when she goes into a home then she can have her albums around her instead of her wall plastered with them, as I know that your not alowed too many on the wall. Well she had suit cases full and there was so many photos that she had no idea who was in them or what they were about, just really brought home to me the reason why I scrap book, "to tell the story". Well it turned into a four hour marathon but I've brought home photos that mean the most to her and will start a realy simple album when I sort out the size I am going to do and papers.

Half way through doing this I got a phone call. It was Jake and he was so excited, he had two ducks with three shots, and flying too. When I got home they had just left again to stalk a few ponds and he came home with another one. Because I'd forgotten my camera we took the ducks home with feathers and all their bits and pieces on so we could get photos. (I know, silly forgetting my camera, and I haven't worked out how that happened). Well here is the proud hunter :)Doesn't he look proud :) And we had them for lunch on Sunday, they were beautiful. :) After getting home all Jake went on about was shooting and going out to get another one for Garry (the neighbour). Sunday after lunch they (Jake, Lionel, Olly and Abby) went out and Jake got another one, so it got plucked and gutted and taken up the road immediately. Lionel said it was so funny stalking the pond, Jake was trying to keep Abby quiet, Olly was pretending he was getting a try and was running around looking for spend cartridges (he uses them for fences on his farm LOL). Wish I was there to take a photo LOL.

The week before at Rugby Olly got player of the day so here he is showing off the trophy before he had to take it back

Now a couple of layouts to share. This layout was for a spring challenge. And I told the story of how old these daffodils are and me not bringing any of the bulbs with us :)

This layout is for a challenge at scrapbook outlet . It was a shopping challenge and I brought, circles, flowers and eyelets. (the eyelets are in the centre of the flowers). I actually enjoyed this one and quite like the circle as a frame/mat.
Well that is all for now. Take care

Snowing

Lots has been happening here over the last week. And I do love it like that. We had one of Lionels sisters and her husband visit last weekend, they came on Friday and left on Sunday. It was mainly for duckshooting, which by the way was an utter disaster. They shot two ducks, and could only retrieve one. But they did get 10 goats. Jake had a ball and was absolutely shot by the end of the weekend.

Then on the Tuesday night a wee friend of Abbys came and stayed the night after school. Her mother had a course in Dunedin and it was easier that she stayed than coming to get her later on, and there was no complaints from here.

Then Wednesday night a friend from Oamaru was here. Was great to catch up with him, the only downer to that was Lionel had to head away first thing on Thursday to Oamaru. His mum is sick and he had to go and find out for himself how things were. There was a few contradictory stories so it was better that he see for himself. So while he was up there he booked the Falcon into a guy we know up there, and on the Friday they had trouble with it, so in the end he had to bring a loan car home and will go back up next week.

Friday my mum came to stay and brought my Nana down to stay with her sister in Clutha, so I met them in Lawrence and we went out for a lovely mothers day lunch, the three of us.

Mum left today early as it was snowing, couldn't believe it. Not much but snow never the less.

For the last two winters we've had real trouble with moisture inside. It came around when we pulled the internal wall out which had the open fire in it. New carpet went down at the same time but now where the sliding and stacking doors are it is starting to go moldy, and it hasn't been three years. Last year I started researching domestic ventilation systems. And finally I have found the system for us. It is called Drive air and is going in this coming week. The man came and talked to us on Tuesday and gave us a price, so it will be good bye to wet windows. Will let you know how it goes

Saturday the boys had rugby in Clutha, so we all went in and watched. They just lost but it was a very good game and the team has come on leaps and bounds since the start of the year.

Jake having his little run :)

Saturday afternoon Lionel went and watched the seniors here in Lawrence, the boys wanted to go,(it was cold), so we said to go get warm clothes, jaket and a hat (meaning a warm one) and this is what Olly came back like. He couldn't see the problem with his hat LOL, apart from the fact it would of blown off and the fact it isn't warm, I guess it would be alright LOL.After doing the photo a day a couple of months ago I thought that I should take my camera with me more often. The fact that everyones days are filled with such different things, and what I think is normal is quite different to what others do. One day I did remember to take the camera, the day wasn't the best but I got some photos of what I was doing. Shifting sheep LOL, so this is what my busy schedule involves, Unfortunately you can't see my dogs, one day I'll get a photo of them :)This is going up the lane, Just on the other side of the hedge at the top is where our house is. The lane goes around the back and up to the woolshed. I guess this is my usual roadblock "SHEEP".

Scrapbookoutlet has had little challenges going all month, each time you complete a challenge your name goes in the draw for a RAK (little something). And this month I was lucky enough to win it so yayyyy, not sure what it is yet. Here is some that I will share with you ;) This was a recipe challenge, 30x30 piece of card stock 28x28 pp etc, and this is what I came up with.This one had to have circles in it. This actually has 11 if you look, plus the buttons and the pp has dots too :)This one was for something and now I can't remember what for, I actually think I forgot to upload it LOL.

Also there was worldwide scrapbooking day last weekend, and with visitors I never got to compete, but I still won something. Now its not often that happens is it. But the awesome Jenny won a free copy of the new scrapbooking mag inovations. And what did she do, no she didn't keep it for herself, she has told Andrea to pass it on to me. So Jenny a huge thankyou, YOU ROCK :)

Onlsow photos and a couple of layouts :)

This layout is another one as the guest designer. Its called "TIME CHANGES many things (but not the love of friends)." its about friends of ours in Oamaru, and they came to visit, we see each other once a year, and the kids just play together like they have never been apart, its just wonderful :)

Now some photos from Onslow (for those of you that emailed me wanting to know what its like. This is what you drive through on your way to the lake. Your on top of the world with no one else around :)

Except for this old tractor in the tussocks. It was used years ago to pull vehicles up the hill, in the days when your vehicle would over heat on the big hills.

It is like in the middle of know where. You drive in and this is what you come too. :)The family skimming stones :)
This is Abby being a boat LOL. The light is natural, I haven't altered it at all, itsn't it gorgeous.
And a layout to finnish with. This is for the April challenge #3 over at scrapbookoutlet . It isn't how I envisaged it but I'm certainly happy with it :)

Belated news

I am late in this, sorry. But most of you may know that the new Ezine is out. It is fantastic too, lots of inspiration in there. I had the absolute privilege of being guest designer for the month. For this I was sent a gorgeous box of supplies (the February kit), that included, pp, cardstock, diecuts, ribbon, brads, chiboard album cover-gorgeous, there was the goreous Making memories note paper and probably a lot that has slipped my mind. I had a play with it all and completed a couple of layouts and cards. I can now share with you all as the Ezine is out.

This layout is of our gorgeous Flo. The flower was stamped on a seperate card then cut out and had dimensional magic over the top.A card I did for Megan and Baz's wedding.This one I wasn't happy with but others thought it was the best one, so thought I'd better share itThis one was to go in a frame into Abbys room, but it hasn't made it out of the lounge LOL