Happy New Year!

I just spent 1/2 an hour typing a big udpate, then it wouldn't
publish it! So I will wish everyone a happy new year and
re-do it tommorrow. It is only 10pm here and I am ready
for bed. Getting old!

Anyway HAPPY NEW YEAR everyone!

Classic Pickups

I bought this set of SU Stamps from a friend in the states
and I love it! It is so, so hard to do men's cards and this one
makes it all so simple. Even if the men aren't into cars, I
think they can be done up nice enough that they would like
these. I like them and Jay the rev head that he is loves them!
Here is Jay's birthday card that I made him-

Here is the same card addapted.

And here is a close up of the one on the right.
Here is another of this same stamp, but not coloured,only stamped in navy.

And one more!

Horse Cards

Gillian's girls came around for an afternoon
of stamping. They wanted to do horse cards,
so I let them pick out the stamps they wanted
to use and what colour they wanted to do and
then with a bit of guidance they made their own
cards. I made exactly the same cards as they did,
while they were making them.
This one is Grayson's-

And this one is Caitlan's-
(not sure if I spelt her name right?)

I have been having so much fun with these
stamps lately. They are Stampin' Ups Equestrian Dreams,
Wanted and Bareback. Here are some more eg's.
Don't you just love that background stamp Flourish?
I have been using it on everything!

This is not a great photo of this one, I'll try it
again later, but gives the general idea.
Anyway I better go mow the lawn as the real estate a
agent wants to take photo's tommorrow.

Me and my baby.

Here is a photo one of the teachers took
of Jay and I at one of the Christmas Nights
at Swim Week. I don't often get in the photo
so I thought I would put it in so you could
see what I look like!

Picture of Last Blog Candy!

I forgot to put in a photo of the blog candywon by Jean and Mel.
I made this at a workshop one night utilisingthe SU stamps, a
nd I thought what a great Candyitem. So I got in and made them
for the BlogCandy winners. Got a lovely email from Jean when
she received hers and I am glad she loved it!

Here is a copy of the cards the girls and I
did at the last workshop.
They were all first time stampers and
all really enjoyed it.We finished the night off
quickly making a bagalope.

Teacher's Gift

This is a bundle of gifts that Jay gave his teacher Miss Megan this year.
Along with some handmade soap and handmade Christmas card.

This calendar was bought at Woolworths. I then covered it with some
of the Paisley Paper from SU that I am so kicking myself that I didn't
buy more of before it was finished. The photo is from their year 5/6
breakup and the flowers were done using the SU Scribble This set.

I bought this album from the $2 shop,
I think it was about $4. I then decorated it with the
SU Paisley and Polka Dot Set and the embellishment pack.

This is a Post it note holder.
Open the top which has a velcrodot to hold it down
and it has a Bright Pink Post it Note Book inside.
The chook was from the SU Best Of Cluck set.
All done at the last moment as per usual.
I think she loved it.Jay informed me he should
get all A's next year for giving herthis present.
I told him it doesn't work like that you little _______!

Darwin

We went up to Darwin on Friday for a
Christmas Party for TNH Contracting.
It was a really good night, and we couldn't
believe how many people we caught up with
that we haven't seen for about 11 years.
It was great to see every one.

Jay had a great day with Harry Josif,
swimming in the pool, and doing a few
boy things that I'm not really sure whether
to believe or not.
Saturday night we picked our eldest up off
the plane. Todd looks great! He has become
a bit of a gym junkie and I think John and I
were expecting him to be rolling in shoulder
and arm muscle the way he keeps telling us he's
doing this weight and that weight, but he wasn't.
He looks good!
The fighting started first thing next morning, and
hasn't stopped since! I think they are at their
happiest when they are niggling at each other.
John is started to grind his teeth and I breathed
a sigh of relief as they all drove off for Hodgson
this morning. I think there might be a few clashes
for the next couple of days then they won't be
game to fight if I know John.
And me.....
Well I am packing! Again!

I probably shouldn't show this...

But I will!
Gillian and I were having a joke on our way out to Edith falls about
hope there's no tourists in black ____ togs, if you know what
I mean. Anyway we had a good old giggle about it.
We were the only ones there when we got there and set ourselves up,
when bout 1/2 hr later a bus full of tourists pull up. Now they
all walked along and saw us and a group of 3 noisy kids and kept
walking around the path to the other area. All that is except
one guy, who proceeded to seat himself in the middle of us
and proceeded to undress down to his.............d___k togs. LOL!
Well we couldn't contain ourselves, and I'm not sure what he thought
we were laughing at. Then when he got out he stood behind a tree
that was only 1/2 the size of him to get changed. I don't think
he realised that the kids around the other side could see him
quite cleary, there conversation they were having went silent
straight away, and when I called out to them to come and have
a sausage sandwich, they couldn't stop giggling. I must admit
neither could Gillian and I.
She's evil that woman, she leads me astray.

Year 5/6 dinner.

Last week the year 5/6's had their break-up dinner. The year 6's
are going up to year 7 which is classified Middle School
on school of the air (highschool)so they have a dinner to
say goodbye. Jay got dressed up for the night and I couldn't
belive how grown up he looked.
They went on a cruise dinner on the Katherine Gorge,
but a mini cyclone came through and just about washed
them all overboard! They were all quite excited by the
adventure, but it sounds like they were all very
luck to get out of it unscathed! Apparently there were
trees flying everywhere and waves washing into the boat
and the boat kept crashing into another boat and a tree
fell over the wharf and they had to get a chainsaw in
to cut it away so they could all get out, and so on the
stories went. Thank god they all came back safe. Apart from
that they all had a great night.

You would not believe what this is!

You know when you buy brads and they come in those screw top
containers and when you have a few they all start screwing
together and then the tops are thrown. Well I was sitting
looking at them one day and thinking I must be able to
use them for something else. I know Christmas ornaments!
This is my first attempt and I think it looks great.
I used my It's Snowtime set, on both sides put glitter in
glued them together and then put ribbon on them. Walla!!!
What do you think?

Look what Kim sent me....

Not a great photo. but I was so excited when
I got this bag of goodies in the mail from Kim,
my upline. A free bg stamp for becoming a demo
in that month and some card ideas, a car sticker
and some card bags. It is so exciting to get this
sort of stuff in the mail. Wouldn't it be great
if you got something like that every week!

Cards

Have been busy making cards for christmas and also
for some orders. Have been having a lot of fun
with Equestrian dreams and the Wanted set.
The cards above was having a go at the Faux leather look.
I really enjoyed trying them and loved the way
they turned out. Below is a fold out album for a
friend's birthday. They breed and sell bull's and
she has quite a few images on plates etc. I couldn't
find a bull stamp anywhere. So I ended up getting
it off the internet and covering it with utee and
giving it the cracked glass effect. She absolutley
loved it, and made all the work on it worthwhile.
Since other people have seen this quite a few extra
orders have come in.

Jay's Birthday

Well my baby turned 11 on Tuesday. He keeps telling everyone
he's 12. Because he was born at the end of December I started
him a year later at school, so apparently he's 11 but he should
be 12!!!! I bought him a second hand PSP off ebay. He has
desperatly wanted one of these for about 4 years so I finally
gave in. A happier boy you could not find.
We went out to Edith Falls about 50km's out of Katherine
for the day with Gillian and her 2 girls and it was such
a great day. The weather was perfect and the falls are
beutiful. We swam and picnicked all day. We were a bit
rosy that night.
Jay reckons it's the best birthday he's ever had.

I've been slack!

At least that's what everyone keeps telling me!
I keep checking your blog and you haven't posted
for ages. Must say I have been far from slack,
just haven't stopped at the moment. The first
hurdle was getting all of the school work
finished for the year, and I have to admit
Jay and I did a little dance and cheer session
when we finished that last maths book for the year.
I am so looking forward to Lyn (the governess)
doing it with him next year. But I have to admit
that I really enjoyed it, and if I didn't have
so much extra stuff to be doing I would keep doing it.
Saying that,my hat off to the ladies that do it
with 3 or more kids, you guys need a meddle.
We had what is calles Swim week last week with
the School of the Air. All the kids come to town
and do swimming and life saving activities at the
pools in the morning and in the afternoon they
do other activities like roller skating, movies etc.
Guess who went roller skating for the first
time in about 25 years, yes thats right this fool.
Should have seen the bruises. All the kids thought
it was great that I got out and had a go with them.

Well the house got in! JUST. They had an inch and a 1/2
the night before,then the day they were due they rang
me at lunch and said they were at Daly Waters and were
going to stay the night there and come in the morning.
I don't think so!!!!!!! I told them it might be a good
idea to get their you know whats into gear as the sky
was black and more rain was heading in. So they lead
footed it in and got in late that afternoon. That night
there was another 2 inches!
I haven't seen it yet but John says it looks good.
He's amazed I haven't jumped in the car and driven the
almost 3 hours out there to check it out. Mmmm he
obviously does not realise what I have to do at the moment.
Anyway it's there so that's a relief. So now they are in
the process of joining it all, and that should be
finished by Sunday. Then we have to put in the
sewerage and water, and power etc.
I started packing today, but will put in a big week next
week as I should have the house to myself.
Anyway I will have to put some photos on here when I
get some, that will be depending on whether I have
internet access too,not sure what's happening yet!