Sneaks for my HVR retreat class next Saturday

"Creativity is inventing, experimenting, growing,

taking risks, breaking rules,

making mistakes,

and having fun."

Author: Mary Lou Cook

 

and i think i did all of these creating these two pages and I am so happy with the results. 

Might have to hold it as a home class too in the next few weeks as I love the results!!!!

Yes that is glimmermist you can see on there

- and I meant to do it !!!HEEHEE!!!!

I cant wait till friday to get away - scrap, teach, sell and ENJOY some me time :)

and some BEST FRIEND time

- Carol & I really get to spend some quality time at the HVR weekends.....

CT CALL.......

I just found this GREAT CT call over on Kate's blog!!!

SCRAP THE GIRLS

If you would like to be a part of Scrap the Girls, it is very easy. All you are required to do is.....

* One layout a month, which must be emailled to me before the 1st of each mont

* Advertise the scrap the girls challenges on your blog or regular forum whenever you can!

* Vote for your favourite layouts at the end of each month

To apply for the position you must......

* Complete the November and December scrap the girls challenges

* Email me a short bio of yourself and why you would like to be on the Scrap the Girls CT

* Please include a link to your blog (if you have one) and any current Design Team or Creative Team commitments

Successful applicants will be notified by email on the 10th of January, and those who make the team must have their February challenge sample pages done by the 31st of January 2010.

I hope to see lots and lots of entries!! Good luck everyone :)

email entries to Kate

Family Gathering

You don't choose your family.

They are God's gift to you, as you are to them.

 ~Desmond Tutu

And after today I cant think of a more perfect quote!!!

My dad's family & my aunts friends joined together today to wish this

GORGEOUS lady a Happy Birthday

My Aunty Patsy - dad's little sister... isnt she beautiful!!!

Dad & his sisters

and Nan... after having emergency hip replacement surgery only 3 weeks ago she was looking great and having fun watching all the people - especially the kids....

a family pic....

and some other shots of the kids mainly...

Meah & Ruby.... [2nd cousins]

Ruby, Meah & Jemima - posers!!!

THE BOYS!!!!

Oliver, Archie & Zac had a great time playing soccer & footy.

This girl is sooooo cute - Mima turned 5 last week - and was very happy to pose for me in all her new clothes - swimmers, fairy outfits.... so funny!!!

Miss Jada - my cheeky neice is getting hard to capture her real smile

- but I got it - cupcake crumbs and all!!!

Sienna in her new outfit & butterfly clips!!!

Kylie & Wade [my sister & her hubby]

stunning as always!!!

and a few of the girl cousins....

unfortunately Ky had left by this stage

and we were missing Emily, Nat & Meaghan.

We dont get together often but you would never know it as we all chat away easily.

Lisa & I were saying how it is amazing how well the kids get on as they only see each other once or twice a year if they are lucky - but we were always the same as young cousins, so family ties are

stronger than you can see!!!

I had a great day out with the kids - we went shopping before hand - all over Newcastle

- spent heaps - shh dont tell Jason LOL!!!

Cant wait to print these pics now and scrap them - might have to get them done before the weekend.:)

Retreat Layout OVERLOAD!!!! beware - its a long post!!!

Well I was going to load my class pages first - but I cannot seem to find the photos of them - maybe I didnt take full pics - just sneaks.... so i will take new photos tomorrow and place them here....

Anyway - here is my pages which I got done between Thursday and Monday...

I had a few pages kits made up so I wanted to use those up - mainly as it had a lot of older product - but also it was faster for me than searching for stock in the mess behind me.....

I had left overs from a retreat class - so i used those up too.

I love this pic of Sienna & dad!!!

How cute is this kid....

 this page is actually for an upcoming retreat challenge SHHHHH!!!!

My handsome man!!!!!

Kate & I having a "moment" in Melbourne

Kate set a GREAT Puzzle challenge for us for the Saturday morning... and once they stopped complaining there were some AWESOME pages created with this kit - here is mine...

and using some left overs....

and more left overs.from the same class kit...

Carol & I at our School reunion

I had Sar from Scrapbook Savvy do a Demo with Glimmermist

- turning all us 'Skeptics" into Glimmermisting freaks!!!!

In the demo Sar glimmermisted this Grunge board flourish....

And I had this page nearly finished [no title or brackets] so I got her to mist it OMG yes I was scared

- but she did an amazing job!!!!

On Sunday I got the Savvy Sketch done - and i LOVE my page!!!!

and I got the We are Savvy Kit this month - Savvy;s first month of kits....

I got these 3 layouts done and still more to play with - GREAT value :)

On the monday Carol & Sharon came back over to help tidy up and we sat and

did a Blind Scrap from Scrap Theraphy

I am so happy with my page - using the New Crate Paper Season Range - I LOVE THIS RANGE!!!

I am going to use it for my Retreat Class at HVR next weekend....

Yes I am off retreating next weekend - 13-15th Nov at the HUnter Valley Retreat. Run & organised by a good friend of mine Rhonda.

I am taking the SFS shop with me too - so it isnt all pleasure

- I am sure I will be run off my feet with excited women who need to shop!!!!

So that is what is happening in my place this week - inbetween working at Brokenwood - I am counting stock, loading stock, ordering more stock and making sure I am 100% organised with page kits so that my scrapping is simplified as I really want to get a fair few layouts done....

Okay im off now - be back tomorrow - got some nice class pages to share

- once I take pics of them anyway.

Friendship & Fun ~ what a weekend!!!!

"There is always something for which to be thankful."

Author: Charles Dickens

 
 

This was the little gift I had on the tables for the ladies as they arrived.... 

I was so happy with how they turned out....

I already have ideas in place for the next retreat :)

with a little group help and Michelle's quick wit [LOL]

Sar from Savvy gave an AWESOME glimmermist demo - showing different techniques & ideas of how to use it.... I sold out by the end of the day [18 glimmermist, 6 masks & HEAPS of grungeboard & chipboard]... thanks SAR!!!

DAY TWO ~ SATURDAY!!!

Saturday was GREEN DAY - for no real reason - just coz I like green....

and most of the ladies got involved [if they remembered] and I have awarded a YUMMY

"GREEN bubbly chocolate block" to these ladies for the best dressed!!!

- i'll give it to Bev on Friday [Nat I hope she shares] :)

We had a group photo - I took the first one...

and Jody decided I need to be in it...

 and silly me handed over my camera OMG!!!! she is sooo funny!!!!

Here's a few shots from over the weekend.

Sunday Group photo

Ang, Me & Deb

- these girls were the HIGHLIGHT of my weekend

- meeting you both was just AWESOME...

I am so glad I can call you both "friends"...

cant wait to see you again soon :)

Kate & Marijana - what sweethearts!!!

Tam & Michelle - very special ladies these two!!!

And we had the pleasure of Miss Jane B's company on Sunday

- you are a gorgeous funny lady

- especially now that you are "offically part of the flock"

- you got picked on ner ner - HEHE!!!!

how gorgeous is she!!!!

And Carol [AKA my BEST friend] & me....

aways there, all the time!!!!

Sar & Leesh from Wollongong

- so glad you made the trip

- you definately fit in with us Hunter Girls

 - defiantely welcome ANYTIME!!!!

and Leesh - thanks for not having that bub yet!!!

It was a very productive few days for the ladies scrap wise - not sooo great for me - but I will share my layouts later....

This little lady however did an amazing 43 layouts!!!!& and a mini album ready for the photos from the retreat.....

Emma you are amazing!!!

Watch out for a 'little something; in the mail babe!!!!

Okay now a few special things!!!

how gorgeous is this!!!

Those two NAUGHTY QLD ladies gave me this & more

- definately left me a little shoked and speechless

- but they are such beautiful girls how could I be angry with them for long,....

thankyou so much Deb & Ang!!!

and look at these!!!!

a VERY VERY special lady gave me this book - thankyou Michelle - I will treasure it!!! as I do our friendship - you have been such an amazing support and friend to me - especially over the past 6 months - and I feel very greatful to know you and call you 'my friend'....

and as you can see Michelle also gave me 6 MORE books - she said she wanted me to hand them to some of the girls at the retreat

- OMG what a HARD thing for me to do in a room full of 30 'friends'...

So what i did was got Meah, Sienna & myself to draw the names out of a bucket

- as all of you ladies are deserving of these gorgeous little books....

the lucky six ladies are [in no order]...

DEB

BEV

JAIMY

LINDA

STEPH - AKA mumma bear

TASH

those books will be in your hands VERY SOON!!!!

And a few other special 'packs' will be making their way to these ladies

Tam - for completeing ALL of the 'challenges' over the weekend

- with some very inspiring pages I might add - gorgeous work Tam

Laraine - for being our little quiet acheiver

- I love that you are able to come scrapping with Tash - I know how much i love scrapping with my mum, so i can only imagine how it must feel for

Tash to share her love of this craft with her Nan...

Sharon - for being our 'shopaholic' of the retreat

- you were so in your element enjoying all the NEW stuff you havent seen

 - and you created some AWESOME pages with it all too!!!!

Before

During

So many amazing moments - gorgeous ladies, fun, scrapping, food, laughter....

lots and lots of laughter....

I would like to thank each & everyone of the ladies who came this year

 for making this our

BEST ever retreat....

BRING ON NEXT YEAR!!!!

I cant believe we are more than half way thru

A friend is one of the nicest things you can have,

and one of the best things you

can be.

~Douglas Pagels

My loungeroom is full of AWESOME friends.....

And we are having a ball!!!!

Here's Lois, Amanda & I on Friday night just before they left.... wish they had been able to stay all weekend - these ladies are the nicest people and I feel so honoured to know them :)

The girls are scrapping up a storm... Miss Emma is just a scrapping machine

 - 40 layouts since 3pm thursday

- yes I said 40!!!!

and OMG she is so inspiring - you have to go cheak out her stuff HERE

I have managed to scrap a bit in between classes, cooking and selling HEAPS!!!!

I've done 14 layouts to date.... hoping to have a BIG day tomorrow.

Today we had GREEN day - just because!!! I have a group pic to load tomorrow :)

and of course I am sure we will take another group pic tomorrow with having NEW people arriving...

We are having so much fun - especially since we have our "entertainment" - AKA Bev & Nat LOL!!!! although they are alot quieter than normal...... we have a swear jar and they are now BROKE!!!! pmsl!!!!

AND we have BEGUN!!!!!

The room was all set up and ready by 11am....

So glad mum was here to help :)

I have the shop set up on the verandah - the photo colour isnt great due to the blue tarp....

Mum & i spend a few hours pricing stock....

And there is still more to price....

Sar, marijana, Alicia & Emma arrived about 2.30pm.... it was so great tot see them.... and see their reaction to the room!!! thats when all the hard work pays off :)

Emma has already done 5 pages, Sar 3 , Marijana 3, mum 2 - and not sure about Alicia.... and I have just picked up my tools and started my first page at 6pm!!!! and an hour later it still isnt finsihed.... I cant sit down i keep finding other things to do - and the fact that the kids & hubby are still here is hard too...

but I am sure I will relax soon and get stuck into it...

And HOW exciting only 3 more hours till I meet Deb & Ang!!!! YAY!!!!!

okay im off to fifnish this page and start on tomorrows lunch....

NEARLY ready!!!!!

Today, give a stranger one of your smiles.

It might be the only sunshine he sees all day.

 ~Quoted in P.S. I Love You, compiled by H. Jackson Brown, Jr.

All the class kits lined up this morning ready to get tied up and named!!!

We are getting there!!!

Im at work till about 1pm - then home to save mum from the terror kid [Sienna] and then we are madly getting everything set up, food shopping down, loungeroom striped, vaccummed and tables in!!!!

Its all happening now!!!!

YAY!!!! 2 more days till my Retreat!!!!

and I got the best news today

- I have a special guest coming on Saturday Night to stay the night with us!!!!

WOOHOO!!! Im soooo happy!!!!

Retreat Class Sneaks & campers!!!!!

Tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow,

Creeps in this petty pace from day to day

~William Shakespeare

I have done the class pages!!! WOOHOO!!!!

I feel HEAPS more relaxed now - although I still have a HUGE list to get thru of othr stuff that needs to be done.....

All the classes except one you can use any type of photo - boy, girl, kid, adult, pet, holiday etc

One is VERY girly!!!!

they are all very different in the colours as you can see by these sneaks....

And this is what our yard now looks like - a camp ground!!!!!

There are even beds in the shed - beds everywhere!!!!!!

It is feeling all a bit more real now and although I have alot of work work to do I am sure the retreat stuff will all fall together easierly now!!!

Carol is here now to help me finish off packing kits and we are going to colour our hair and have a wine to celebrate after :)

I think Ive found my mojo!!!!

She designed a life she loved.

by Kobi Yamada

I scrapped!!!!!

And all it took was reading these words above

thanks Kayla Renee.... a perfect CC challenge.

 

Savvy have their Oct PINK CC running this weekend - come and join in!!!

Come and say hi or just have fun being inspired by the awesome Design Team....

And Sar is running a Blind Scrap tonight - CANT WAIT!!!!

 

Here's my page for Kayla's challenge

 

 

Okay so now a RETREAT UPDATE!!!

 

I have still so much to do - but it is all fiddly stuff like sort product for display - price product - clean out my personal stash so i can move the furniture out - clean desk - sort rooms out etcetc you get the idea...

 

I still have to finish off 3 class pages but they are looking great and im really happy with them - they should be fun short classes leaving LOADS of personal scrap time!!!

 

I am also sorting out a few "product demos" as well - just to help with a few ideas.... if any ladies coming have a GREAT technique or idea on using product and would like to share please let me know so we can fit it in - its fun to all work together.

 

i am placing the last product order today too - so we should have HEAPS of stock - new & older - to play with so make sure you come cashed up :)

 

Oh and bring your swimmers!!!

 the water is refreshing [aka COOL]

but even just to dangle your feet and sip on a wine in the afternoon will be nice and relaxing!!!

 

Okay im off to scrap - might post another update later if I get some Layouts finished :)