Creativity.... my long lost friend!

...or so it seems!!  : (

Poor friend has really taken a back seat of late.  This is why:

1200 kilometres

3 days

7 games of soccer...

Just me, Claire and the boys went on this trip.  She didn't make the final cut into the Capricornia team, but she was the only one from her team to make it into the 'possibles and probables' cut... and she just played her heart out!

A birthday in the park.

4 of his best friends.

A football.

Lollies.

Ice-cream cake.

Happy birthday Coop!!

With lots of bubbles for the littlies...

... and unfortunately, lots of this!

Lachy was running such high temps last night that i slept with him on the lounge.

The last time his temps were this high he suffered a febrile convulsion.

Very scary.

One day off now, then a 500km round trip for the girls cross country Capricornia team selection!

{{sigh}} ... life certainly isn't boring for us right now!

I did find time for a quick 'fix' in the midst of it all tho....  hehe
but more on this one later  :)

... now i just need to find time for a blog browse fix!  I've really missed catching up on all the action  :))

Thanks for popping in and i hope all is well in your respective camps.

Cheers for now,

jules

x

New Palette Time....

ok... the new palette for the week is up over at The Colour Room and this is what i did with it:

{dreamy eyes}

... and here is the palette and sketch (which is optional):

Imaginarium Designs are sponsoring TCR this month, but unfortunately i actually did this palette before my gorgeous goodies arrived.  You really should go and check them out though... they are amazingly detailed and diverse creations!

This fabulous Bo Bunny Gabrielle pp was perfect for the palette, which i then teamed up with some Studio Calico, Tim Holtz, Hambly... and of course the ever-present muslin and stitching!  lol

and just 'cause i can  :)) ... a sneak:

Off on a three day trip on Sunday for Claire's Capricornia Soccer Trials, so much to do.  DH couldn't get time off work and DD#1 has too much on her plate at school atm, so it's just Claire, my boys and I. 

Hope you all have a fantastic weekend....  :))

jules
x

Just Because....

.... he's so cute! 
.... he looks so grown up with his new 'big boy' haircut
.... he stayed still long enough for me to get a couple of shots that were actually in focus!!

hehe... funny how we take so many things for granted though.  On Tuesday night, said cutie with the big boy haircut was outside with his dad, who was cooking on the bbq, whilst i was inside cutting up veggies with the phone wedged between shouder and ear talking to my mum  {always multi-tasking.. lol}.

Lachy opened the back door, stuck his head inside and said, with perfect clarity "is it Tuesday today mum?"  Without giving it much thought i just said "yes darling".

It was only after mum's astonished reaction that i realised, it probably isn't a typical 2 year old's question... particularly when Troy popped his head inside to say he had no idea where it came from... he hadn't said anything to him about what day it was.  He has always spoken well and from very early... all four of them have really.  So it just seemed normal to me.  So much so, that i am always amazed by all the comments i get from others about his quite adult conversational skills and clear speech.  Like i said, something i have just taken for granted.

Something i'm definately not taking for granted though is the toilet training miracle.  Three weeks ago we went from totally not getting it ... and totally not wanting to get it, to totally toilet trained in the space of a week.... so we've had over two weeks of perfect toilet habits.... dry nights and all!!  {YAAAAAYY} i guess they are just ready when they are ready!

Hope today finds you happy and cherishing the things that we take for granted...

jules
x

Need a Prompt?

... try giving the new Stuck?! sketch a go then!  :))

Just a quick one today.  The mid month sketch is up over at stuck?!  This one prompted something quite different to my normal sort of thing:

{too school for cool}

Lots of layered Elle's Studio Vintage Mix and Match numbers, Studio Calico fabrips, hessian and stitching..... and a bit of grunginess thrown in for good measure.

...and here's the sketch:

Pop over and have a look at what the rest of the CT have come up with.  I really love watching all the different versions of the one blueprint.  Would love to see what you can come up with too.... :))

On another subject....... I'm so excited!!! I'm getting a new lappy!  totally specked up for me with web cam, skype, PS, solid state hard drive.... woohoo!

Thanks for stopping by and i hope to return some of the amazing blog love i've been getting of late!  Have a fabulous week everyone.

jules

x

Lots of Goodies...

Bad Blogger!! ... so glad you are back online tho... :))

Ok... have a bit to share today!  The Colour Room Palette this week is a really soft and pretty one... so easy for a dreamy, feminine page.  So this is what i did:

Thanks to Imaginarium Designs for the stunning chippies this month for the DT to scrap with.  I am so definately a fan!!  I just inked the flourish and the beautifully intricate butterfly... really quick and easy, but adds so much to the overall look of the page.

Now on to the Boxx of Scraps kit for this month over at The Boxx.

The lovely and talented Jodie Butler put the Boxx of Scraps together for this kit.. and it's just so gorgeous!  Head over to the Boxx to have a look and check out the newsletter for yourself.

Not my usual thing, but i really enjoyed doing a 'big' photo with lots of layering. This kit contains so many gorgeous cards and journaling blocks, that the layering was made really quick and easy.

{birthday balloons}

Quite possibly the girliest boy page i've ever done... i hope he can learn to forgive me!  lol

.... and still with the kit:

{pool antics}

The dressmakers pattern paper isn't part of the kit, but i wanted a bit of pattern in the bg, so i glued it to the Kraft that is in the kit and gave it a light whitewash.  Love these Prima Calcutta Minis too ... yummm!

... and plenty left for a card or two:

{happy birthday sweetie}



Oh, and the shoulder injection when well... pretty painless actually!  I was a bit sore and sorry yesterday once the local wore off, but things look like they are improving today.  Finger crossed!

Thanks for stopping by and hope you are all successfully recovering from blogger withdrawal too!

cheers

jules

x

More to Share...

I forgot to download the camera after the May long weekend when the kids all competed in a community fun run.  Maddi and Claire have competed twice in the event before, but this time little Cooper was eager to give it a go too!! At the ripe old age of 7, he was so adament that he could run a full 5km that i didn't have the heart to say no.  I was more than a little dubious that he could cope with the distance though.... and didn't he prove me wrong!!  :)))   I was so proud of the little trooper.  There wasn't even an age group appropriate for him and he consequently had to run in the under 11's -  running against kids 3 years older than him!  I received a record of placings yesterday and he came 7th!! ... the best part was he had an absolute ball!!  Maddi came 2nd in the under 15's and Claire 3rd in the under 12's.

I'm so pleased the kids love being active...

Belated happy mothers day too!!  Hope all you fabulous mothers had a great day.  We had a really relaxed day, after a very large breakfast in bed, the lovely hand made gifts, cuddles and sleep in's..... what every mum looks forward to really.  :))

Try as i might, this was unfortunately the best pic i got all day!!  My little friend playing round and round the garden with me in bed whilst helping me eat breakfast!

Please excuse my absence through the month of May.... it's a shocker!  I've already had two trips away... with another one scheduled tomorrow.  i have to have a steroid shot in my shoulder thanks to a tendon injury that won't heal!  Then i have two more sporting trips away with the girls, one is 6 hours away and for 3 days, the other is over 2 hours away, but just an overnighter.  Oh, and a birthday in there too - we have one a month now for the next three months....

Creative pursuits are taking a bit of a back seat this month unfortunately... :(((

But i still have managed to sneak a few in... hehe...

Thanks so much for stopping by... and for all the incredible comments on my last post!  thank you all so much...

cheers

jules

x

Is it Bad...... ?

... to have favourites??

Sort of like picking a favourite child... a bit tabu!  lol  ... but, at the risk of sounding like a complete fat head, i really do have a soft spot for this 1st May layout i did for Stuck?! this month.  It was prompted by a sketch i did too, which was probably why it came quite easily to me:

{you amaze me}

Maybe it's the combination of that AWESOME sass pp (i absolutely LOVE it) and the melissa frances resin products.... so yum!  That photo of my littlest man was actually cropped from a much larger photo and therefore almost overlooked.  i just love the expression.

a little bit of bo bunny gabrielle in there too, which is just totally loveable....  :))

oh, and here is the sketch again... just in case you feel compelled to give it a go  ;)

Another day on the sports oval today for DD#2's regional athletics team selection trials...  :))

Hope you are all having a good one!

See you soon with some more shares.

cheers

jules

x



No Paper!

By now i'm sure you all know the drill over at KIU.  This month's challenge is to create a layout WITHOUT patterned paper!   Use your imagination with things like journaling spots, transparencies, paint, mists, ribbon, tape, fabric, dressmakers paper, doilies, chippy products ..... the list is almost endless and i was quite surprised by how easy it was. 

Here is mine.... a very rare page 'cause it's got me on it!! LOL

{just me}

I've used a gorgeous Dusty Attic chippy vine and a Melissa Frances resin frame that i am totally in love with.  Definately need to buy some more of these!  A Hambly transparency, Kaisercraft blossom, paint, cardboard, Tim Holtz tissue tape, buttons, muslin (of course)  :)) and twine all feature here too.... not forgetting a little Chip Chop Shop doily from miss wally tucked in underneath too.  Last but not least of course is the Crafters' Workshop template that i have glimmermisted, then added a few specks of glimmermist and paint and stitching to finish it off.

Over at Stuck?! this month, Sara has used a sketch from ME!!  totally thrilled and would love for you to give it a go and let me know what you think..  :))

I'm in the second set of CT reveals for the 1st May sketch, so can't reveal mine until Thursday.... so i'll see you then.  :))

Sorry also for being a little absent this last week, but i kind of had a bit of a self imposed hiatus from the puter in order to focus on family needs, kiddy stuff and creative commitments.  Looking forward to the week ahead of me looks a bit horrifying too in terms of trips away and kids sport!  I'm sure i'll have lots to catch up on and i promise to try and visit soon!!

Thanks for visiting and i really appreciate the absolutely amazing comments that i am receiving from you lovely ladies.  I'd like to say a big hello also to the little wave of new followers... {waving}...  it's great to have you here.  :))

Bye for now.

jules
x