Author: Nic Howard

Typepad drives me crazy.  If I make a mistake as I type and have to backspace, it takes ages to catch up with me.  There is a delay as I type.  It drives me nuts.

 

Clearly I have given up blogging a little lately.  Perhaps because I’ve been busy, perhaps because I’m just lazy, perhaps because I’m visiting facebook a little more, or perhaps because this delay wants me to place my laptop on a concrete footpath and smash the living crap out of it with a sledgehammer.

 

Which is precisely what happened to my wireless mouse a few months back.  And as I’m smashing it I see the battery.     Oh.     A battery.  I slowly put the sledgehammer down.  Poor wee mouse.  I then apologise to the smashed up wireless mouse for not realizing it needed a battery.  
I’m nicer to my new mouse.

 

So I updated my facebook with a ‘typepad frustrates me’ quite little vent and someone suggested I type a blog update in Word first and then copy and paste.  Oh my goodness!  Sometimes I wonder about myself.  How I didn’t think of that myself I have no idea. 

 

What’s on with me right now?  A Tarisota kit… finishing layouts started at the weekend and sending them through to Tamar, have you seen the new look site?  Looking forward to sharing projects on here soon!  Especially now that I have figured out how to type posts without smashing something.

 

I also have CHA tradeshow work on its way to me.  I have classes to create.  For someone that has given up a lot of her work, I’ve gained a whole lot more.  I have another small Big Picture Scrapbooking project to do.  I guess I just can’t. do. nothing. 

I’m carrying on with Prima until the next design team is announced – hopefully I’ll be on that list, and hopefully that list will come out any day.
Here’s my latest layout, done with their June sketch.

 

 

What am I doing this weekend?  I’m going to the Palmer Family Fundraiser Crop, I mentioned this in my last blog post, but I’ll say it again, I’m sure there must be people that still don’t know it’s on!

When:     Saturday June 12^th
Time:      9am to 5pmWhere:    Indian Association Hall, Ward St, Pukekohe

Who:   A day for scrapbookers, stampers, cardmakers and crafters – inexperienced or experienced, all are welcome!!

What to bring: Your projects for the day, your sense of humour, and cash for the raffles and the Absolutely Crafty retail table !!

Cost:   $20 per person, includes morning and afternoon teas, spot prizes and tips and techniques offered throughout the day

Bookings are limited, so please book today!!!!!!!!

Email: danice25@hotmail.comor call Liz on 09 236 4549

 

Alright.  Time to create.  What is not started today is never finished tomorrow.  Making a plan.  Going with it. 

 

Laters.

I looked at the weather blogs this morning, as I do.  I saw that rain coming and thought… Tuesday.  Apart from Cheeseday it's also the day we do nothing after school.  I am so glad I'm going to home cuddled in front of the fire with my family around me when that hits. 

So when I found myself in nil visability on the motorway going to an emergency specialist appointment with Abby, I wasn't thrilled.  Nothing serious (the appointment, not the rain, we all know that was serious!), we weren't out long but I can't help feeling ripped off that I wasn't at home in front of the fire with the kidlets.  June 1st.  Hello winter. 

Yep, been busy.  Blog neglected.  I met a huge deadline, finished a contract, met a goal this past Saturday and it's taking me a long time toget used to not to have the deadlines hanging.  Not sure where to go from here.  With the blog.  With my commitments, with everything.  Letting time decide. 🙂

Anyhoooow – here's a layout done a few months back, took me only 30 minutes – a record!

Anyone else going to the Palmer family fundraiser crop here in Pukekohe?  jason Palmer was an officer at Springhill Correctional Facility until he passed  away recently.  Jason's wife Tracy is an avid scrapbooker, so the scrapbooking community is coming together to help raise a little money for his family in the days ahead. 

I'll leave you with the details, I might see some of you there!
When:     Saturday June 12^th
Time:      9am to 5pmWhere:   Indian Association Hall, Ward St, Pukekohe

Who:   A day for scrapbookers, stampers, cardmakers and crafters – inexperienced or experienced, all are welcome!!

What to bring: Your projects for the day, your sense of humour, and cash for the raffles and the Absolutely Crafty retail table !!

Cost:   $20 per person, includes morning and afternoon teas, spot prizes and tips and techniques offered throughout the day

Bookings are limited, so please book today!!!!!!!!

Email: danice25@hotmail.comor call Liz on 09 236 4549

 

laters

 

Today has already been one of those days.  After dropping the kidlets off at school I was  coming to a stop at a round-about and the truck in front of me started to reverse.  Several expletives and the fastest change into reverse I have ever done, with just a quick thank you Lord that noone was following me, and my heartrate slowed to a sane level.  That was my first WTF moment of the day.

Whilst washing the floor this morning, I cursed for the hundredth time the thousands of little bugs that are coming in from outside.  No exagerating.  It's been happening for weeks.  Tiny flying insects, invading my home, piling into the corners, commiting some sort of death-pile-up thing in the fartherest reaches of my kitchen floor.  Second WTF moment of the day.  We need to educate the bugs somehow.

I released the last of my Monarchs yesterday.  Tagged, carefully released.  Please look for little white tags on Monarch butterlfies as you see them, there are a lot of us NZ-wide tagging our Monarchs and logging their journeys.  I have a meeting with other like-minded Monarch taggers next week – I told Paul and that was his first WTF moment for the day.  hey.  Don't dis the butterflies.

Everyone loves them a little frog – right? This one from Abby on mother's day.  Oh yea.  Egg cartons at their best. I was so proud, she was so proud.  Great frog experience.

SENZ 2010 details have been released.  I was originally meant to be attending this event, teaching on behalf of one of my favourite stores.  Unfortunately the store is now unable to attend, which means I'm not teaching.  I was offered a teaching space representing SENZ themselves, but family circumstances have meant I can't accept.  There are some great teachers attending though.  Trina McClune has a huge line-up of amazing classes, as does Jill GG and Ngaire Bartlam.  I'm envious, I've been chatting to Trina and her classes are already looking great.  I'd be there if I could.  To those of you that have registered - have fun!

Off to play with more collections… I did this the other day for an assignment…closely inspired around a project on the Collections blog…  I can't stop now.  HOOKED.  I am hooked.
laters

 

I think I'd by lying if I didn't say that I have a new love.  I've always had a soft spot for Collections, but I've never seen so much of it in one place.  I was drawn into the Collections booth at SIA and Julie and Audrey had to get used to me hanging around.  I was just hoping being there would mean I'd soak up just a tiny bit of the Collections creativity.  The girls that worked on this booth are amazing.  I can't say enough about the inspiration dripping fro every piece of artwork.  I couldn't help but take some pics on my phone.  Not the best pics, but perhaps you get the idea.

 

 

 
 Do you see the spools?  They are a new Collections release.  Notice the Crown?  I saw how to make that.  Amazing.  I also sat in a class with Julie van Oosten.  My first ever.  I will join any classes I can that Julie takes.  She is one of these people that is so creative and so clever, you question her sanity.  I loved the project I made, and when I finish it (it's 95% done) I will share it. 

I'll be trying to use as much Collections in my scrapbooking adn classes as I can in future.  I can't say enough good about them.

Onto other things!
Megan's Retreat in September.  I hadn't caught up with Megan for a while, and I chatted to her the other day about things, and she showed me her website here.  She still has spaces for anyone that fancies getting away just after winter.  Lianne Gray and Louise Williams are teaching.  Should be fun!
 

Leaving you with a sneak peek of two new collections being released by BasicGrey soon… I've seen the full collections, you'll want to be watching for these!

Alright.

Enough inspiration already.
laters!

Back from SIA.  My classes went fabulously, Australia is going to love Max n Whiskers!  My poor hubby had to take care of tagging and releasing about a dozen Monarch butterflies while I was gone, what a man.  I was busy browsing, learning, playing and wishing I owned all of the product on offer. 

One of my favourite places?  Dusty Attic.  They had the most amazing booth with gorgeous artwork on the walls.  They had a fabulous, fabulous make n take (one of many at the show, I'll show you some others during the week) and the staff were super friendly.  Go Jen, we are really proud of you!

I'm still asked constantly how to buy Dusty Attic, ever since we gave the Autumn Escape ladies a taste of the products a month or so back.  The answer is to go to Embellish It.  They don't have it all on site, but the owner, Rachel, is super great and will work out orders for you!!  Email her if you are after the Dusty Attic goodies.

Here we go, pics of Dusty Attic – taken from my phone, so not the best.  BUT big congrats to Jen and Evana for the Best Booth award!

I'll be back in the next few days with pics from the Collections Booth – another of my favs!
Laters

 
 
 
 

Off on a  jet plane.  This time to SIA in Australia.  Looking forward to catching up with everyone – Evana – I can't wait to see you! It's been a while.

Back Thursday – poor Paul will have the office to himself, he won't know what to do with all the room.  Any the dozen Monarch butterflies that are due to hatch while I'm away!  I did have this one hatch the other day, only minutes after I posted my update.  Paul has been instructed on how to tag them, fingers crossed he can handle it all!  I'll report on his progress when I return!

 

 
 
 Have a great week everyone, I'll be back over next weekend with anSIA update.  I'm taking a class put on by Collections… Julie van O is taking it.  Head over heels in love with their stuff, so look forward to that!  Will post imagines next weekend!

Oh!! For those of you that love Pagemaps, Becky Fleck has released another book – oh yea… pagemaps 2!  I have a few layouts in this book – can't wait to see it on the shelves!  Amazon has it for pre-release here.

Lots happening today.
Like this.  Look, there is one there ready to emerge.  This isn't all of them, BTW.  I have more.

And when they emerge, I tag them like this, this is the first butterfly I ever tagged.  It's a bit fuzzy because it was nearly dark.:

And I can track their movements, if other people find them and log on to say they have.

Too. much. fun.

Working on BPS.  Trying to get a bit of content out of the way before I head to Sydney.
I'm teaching at SIA using Max N Whiskers from BasicGrey.  HEre's a sneak.

 
 
I'm really enjoying my BPS workshop right now – the students are awesome, the projects they are creating are amazing.  Here is an example layout from week two, i think… we are up to week five tonight…

Back to it…
LAters
 
 

Roses are red.

Violets are blue.

The fortune cookie recommended it.

So that's what I'll do.

;o)"
laters

I'm home from Autumn Escape – whoa.  What a weekend.  I know we always say these things after a scrapping weekend but this is the second time I've come home from this event with an amazing feeling of friendship and unity.  Like I just spent 3 full days with 120 of the best friends ever.  I came home with a heart full of warm fuzzies and a mind full of inspiration.  You ladies were great, as a group you made me incredibly proud to be part of the scrapbooking scene.  Not only do you make me want to sleep in my scrapbooking room again (it's been a long time since I felt that way!) but your ability to create the most amazing pieces of art was inspiring, your laughter was uplifting and for us to pull together as a group and get rid of 50kg of lollies was just amazing! 

I'm inspired, and I'm back blogging.  I have lots to say again.

For now I'll leave you with a few pics… just a few.  The 'candy bar' and a photo of the behind-the-scenes ladies.  Most of these ladies didn't know they'd be involved until they turned up and got dragged into help. Their help was most appreciated.  So from Lucy & I, to everyone at Autumn Escape – thanks – the weekend was truly special.  Watch for more photos soon.

laters

 

Yep, I'm missing.  You know I'm busy when I don't update my blog.  I'm currently finishing up details for Autumn Escape, getting ready for Kelly Goree's visit to New Zealand, doing some work forBasicGrey, watching a six year practice hip-hop, getting my boys ready for the hockey season, planning a trip to Sydney for SIA, getting over an awful cold, taking part in the first week of Dimensional Details and doing some heavy thinking about participating in this event.  OK so I thought about it for two seconds before declaring that I'll pass.  Hubby plans to sign up though.  I'll stick to my running.

I'll be back to regular blogging after Autumn Escape… I miss blogging, I can't stay away forever.

For those of you going to Autumn Escape, here's a little taste of the make n takes…

laters