Sharing some Anna's Craft Cupboard DT Work

One of the ranges I got in my DT Pack this month was the BEAUTIFUL Lily Bee Autumn Spice Range.  I loved the colours in this range, the beautiful blues, oranges, yellows browns and reds.  Just gorgeous.
Here are the two layouts I created, plus some close-ups.

It's THAT time again....

Yep, it's WOW's challenge time again.
This month, you have to used this Sketch, by the talented Lisa Warren,

You also have to add at least ONE piece of WOW - Words or Whatever Chipboard. 
It's that easy!!!!
Why don't you grab yourself some WOW chipboard and sit down to do this sketch today?

Here is my sample:

I have used the WOW - Words or Whatever Dog Tag Pack WOW1644,

I painted them with a Ranger Dabber in Citrus, then used them as journalling tags.
Here is a close up.

I have also used WOW-Words or Whatever Chipboard Leaf fro the Tropical Leaf Pack WOW1571, which I also painted in the Dabber Paint.  Finally I used a WOW ACC Exclusive Miniature Word - Attitude in my title.  I also painted this in Citrus.

Here are some close ups:

Thanks for popping by my blog, and don't forget to give the WOW - Words or Whatever Sketch Challenge a go this month.

Don't Fall Off Your Seats In Surprise.....

But I scrapped a Double!!  OMG!!!  I really did!
LOL - I used to scrap doubles all the time when I first started out scrapping, then I didscovered I was far too impatient to do them, singles were far more satisfying...lol...
Lately, I've been thinking about the benefits of doubles - you can fit more photos in, you have more room to "play" ........  PLUS I've been recently hanging out with a very talented scrappy lady who does doubles ALL the time and is so so inspiring, how could I not want to get started with them again?
Anyway, this is what I did, using Bo Bunny's "Mistletoe" range....and yes it is also a Christmas layout....lol..

 

I adored the beautiful brights of this range - it is just so bright and funky, perfect for boy layouts.

Here are a couple of close ups, with the chipboard swirls, I used some of Dyan Reaveley's Dylusions Spray in Cut Grass, then added dotted some Ranger Perfect Pearls on top.

 

I also added a cute little WOW - Words or Whatever Word "Ho Ho Ho" which I first painted with a Jenni Bowlin Dabber in Chilli Red, then added some Perfect Pearls over the Top.

 

 

And one last close up:

 

 

How are all of you going with scrapping your Christmas layouts?  I have just about finished scrapping last years....lol...   Thinking of doing my Christmas Photo Shoot this weekend, if the weather stays nice....maybe will do a back yard one and a beach one this year...not sure..

Thanks for popping by my blog, hope you all have a nice weekend!

House Number 5

Hi! 
Welcome to the "Blog Hoppers" blog hop for October.
This month, we are looking at numbers that are important in our lives. 
When I was thinking about this, I couldn't go past the number 5. No matter how I look at it, every single house that I have lived in long term or owned as been a number 5 house.  Don't know what it means in Numerology terms, but that is the way it is.
I came home from a hospital as a baby and lived at 14A Ipswich St for 22 years.  In Numerology, you have to add the digits together until you get a single figure so 1+4=5.  The first house I bought was number 68 Woodend Rd.  6+8 = 14, 1+4=5. I lived there for 5 years. Then when Mark and I moved to Mackay we bought a house numbered 5.  We've lived here now for nearly nine years.
Just to continue the importance of the number, our son was born on the 14th as well!!
So, you see, 5 is a VERY important number in my life :)

This is what I did to illustrate this story.

I did plan on doing a layout about the house we live in now, but in my usual organised fashion I couldn't find the picture, so I decided to do a little mixed media art instead.  As I was running out of time I cheated a little bit and used cut outs from Christy Tomlinson's Pink Paislee line.  Thank heavens for my new heat tool as well, as there were lots of layers in this piece that needed to dry before I applied the first layer.  I was VERY pressed for time....lol...nothing like the last minute, hey?
I have used a WOW - Words or Whatever Altamatz "Clouds 12x12 ALTA026" to apply some texture paste too.
I did my journalling by typing out what I wanted to say on strips of masking tape.  If you want to find out how to do this - it isn't tricky - let me know and I'll post a quick tute :)

Thanks for popping by my blog, don't forget to hop on to th next lovely lady - Sharryn  -  on my list to continue.


Kerri Geoghegan
Lucy O'Malley
Marcia

Monique Follett (That's me!!!)
Sharryn Thomson
Sonia Bowers

Told you......

I have been scrapping, not just snapping photos - lol.  I've been playing along at the Scrapbook Savvy Cybercrop.
First up, I did Kerryn's colour challenge:
Kerryn used this picture:

And came up with this colour pallette:

Gorgeous colours hey?  I just loved them, and knew at once which range I was going to play with.
Here is my creation, using Fancy Pants "The Good Life" range.

 

 

 

Here are a couple of close ups: 



The chipboard you see above is a WOW - Words or Whatever Leafy Branch Large. WOW1526.  I painted it some Jenny Bowlin Dabber Paint - in Firetruck Red, then added some Tim Holtz Dabber in Lemonade.  Quite like the effect of the two paints.

I also did Sara's Sketch Challenge.



This was the sketch we were given:

Anyways, this is what I did with it.  I used October Afternoon's Midway Range - it is so totally scruptious, peeps.  Honestly the patterns and the gorgeous bright colours are amazing!

 

As the colours of my photo were bright as well, I decided to tone it down a tad by adding some grey, which was the same tone as the greys in the papers.  Yes, you can also see some more WOW - Words or Whatever.  I have used a cog from the 12x12 Cog Frame Set C819, brightened up by adding some Prima Chalk Ink in Rusty Key and a  moustache from the WOW - Words or Whatever Mini Mos set WOW1605 which I simply inked in Distress Stain

Here are some close-ups.



That's it from me today, think I might have a  nap as I am feeling rather tired now.
Cheers,
Monique

More Photos...

While I was at the Gooseponds with my camera I took the time to take photos of Connor as well.  It's getting better with him now, he likes me taking photos of him - little poser that he is, and this time he was in the mood, and he listened to how I wanted him to sit.

Then of course he LOVED playing with the leaves while I clicked away, and it wasn't long before he decided it would be even MORE fun to chuck the leaves all over me!!

That's it for now so I'm going to be off.  I am scrapping tonight, so I will have some shares tomorrow!
Bye!

Sharing Some Photos

Every day our family goes walking at The Gooseponds, a natural waterway in Mackay with walking tracks around it.  It's a gorgeous little piece of nature in the city, and we all love to unwind here.
Yesterday I took my camera and had a play with some settings, and took some photos of this lovely place.
Thought I'd share:

I took this one a few days ago with my phone, it is of a family of Wood Ducks - 8 little chicks, so gorgeous!

Cheeky Rainbow Lorrikeets are everywhere in the trees.

There are so many different species of ducks there too - it is just amazing the bird life there.

The colours this tim of year are amazing too - for some reason a lot of the trees lose their leave this time of year, rather than Autumn.



 

This would have been my favourite nature shot of the day, I have something for Water Flowers - must be the Pisces in me!!  LOL...

 



Well that's it from me today, while I was there I also took photos of my favourite little man as well, but I'll save them for another day, or just pop them on a scrapbook page to share....hehe.

Meal Planning Sunday

In one of my few attempts to be organised - well at least more organised than previous months, I have taken to planning my family's dinners.  Breakfast and lunch is always a casual affair, so I figure all I have to worry about is dinner.

Monday:          Thai Fish Cakes with Bean Sprout Salad  
Tuesday:           Salmon and Pasta Bake (From Kat at the Organised Housewife)
Wednesday:      Beef, Capsicum and Eggplant Curry (Recipe Below)
Thursday:        Nasi Goreng (with chicken instead of Tofu)
Friday:             Pizza Night
Saturday:         Creamy Prawn and Tomato Fettucini (Recipe Below)
Sunday:            Caesar Salad (with Cos lettuce from our own garden....yum!!!) (Recipe Below)

Baking: Triple Treat Choc Muffins and Bacon and Cheese Pizza Scrolls.

Sorry I don't have pictures to go with the Recipes - I promise next time I will add them!!  I'm not that organised yet....lol..

Beef, Capsicum and Eggplant Curry

 

 

Ingredients

 

350gms Lean Beef, cubed.

1 Eggplant

1 Capsicum



1/2 Cup of Balti Curry Paste
1 Tin of Evaporated  Milk - Coconut
1 Tin Crushed Tomatoes.

1.  Brown Beef in batchs in a casserole pan sprayed with Olive Oil Spray.
2.  Add cubed Eggplant and Capsicum - cook until soft.  Add Beef.
3.  Add curry paste, and stir until fragrant.
4.  Add Evaporated Milk, and Tomatoes, simmer 5 mins.
5.  Place in oven and cook at 180 degrees for 1 hour 15 mins.

Serves 4  Approx 316 cals per serve. 
Add extra cals for 1/2 cup of Basmati Rice and 1 Tblspn of Fruit Chutney, if desired.



Creamy Prawn and Tomato Fettucini



Ingredients
500gms green prawns - peeled, tails off.
1 tspn crushed garlic.
1/2 cup sliced shallots
1/2 cup white wine
3/4 cup Evaporated Milk.
1 Tin Crushed Tomatoes
2 Heaped Tablespoons Cornflour
300gms dry fettucini
salt and pepper to taste

1.  Saute garlic in a non-stick fry pant that has been coated with cooking spray for 1 minute.
2.  Add shallots and wine to the pan, cook 3 minutes.
3.  Add tomatoes,prawns pepper and salt, cook until prawns just turn pink.
4.  Combine cornflour and milk, add to pan and bring to boil - stirring.  Simmer gently while cooking fettucini.
5.  Bring a salted pan of water to boil and add fettucini.  Boil until cooked, drain and serve with prawn mix.

Serves 4
467 cals - Add extra cals for parmesan cheese, if desired.
(I use this meal on a Saturday as a Bonus Meal)

Caeser Salad

 

 



Ingredients

1 Cup of Cos Lettuce, shreddd.
100gms of Shortcut Bacon
5gms of shaved Parmesan Cheese
1 Slice of Multigrain Bread
20mls of Low Fat Caesar Dressing.

1.  Grill the bacon until crispy.
2.  Cut the Multigrain Bread into cubes, spray with Olive Oil spray and bake in the oven on a tray lined with baking paper - until like croutons.
3.  Add Cos Lettuce to a bowl, sprinkle with Parmesan.  When done, add the bacon and croutons when cooked. 
4.  Add Caesar dressing.

Serves 1
Calories: 334
As you can see, I add the calories, because yes, I am still following Michelle Bridges 12WBT.  I can't share her recipes due to copyright, but I have been slowly adapting some recipes to suit the program, and those I will share!

Thanks for popping by my blog, and if you have any yummy, calorie controlled recipes to share, please add a link to your comments.

 

Sports and Dancing over at Frosted Designs

The challenge over at Frosted Designs this week is to scrap a layout about the Dancer or Sportsperson in your life.
Here is my sample:

The photo is of Connor looking extra pleased with himself when he scored his first ever trophy last year at his soccer presentations.  He was so proud of himself.

Here is a close up of some of the layout:

I also used some WOW chipboard.  I used a Pennant Banner from the NEW RELEASE Pennant Banners Large pack WOW1647, which was perfect for the banner diecut, and I also used a cute lil Soccer Ball from The Soccer Boy and Ball Pack WOW1601.  All I did with that was paint it with black and white gesso.  I used cotton tips, and neatened it up with a black marker.
The range was Jillibean Soup Game Day Chilli which you can get from Anna's Craft Cupboard here:
That's it for me tonight, I've spent most of the day cleaning up and reorganising my scrap space, so hopefully I'll be able to scrap in style tomorrow after I spend some time in the garden.....
I'll be back tomorrow with some more shares I think!