the year's a blur...

This year has just flown! I can't believe its December already and I am staring down another birthday soon...and another year older.

I didn't realise how long its been since i updated my blog, but i have been very busy rearranging The Craft Attic. The shop is looking great with lots of new products and heaps of new fixture to house them all. I shall post a picture when i get my new camera.

On the idol front, Marty got voted out and then my navyboi went, leaving Matt and Natalie as the final 2. Natalie won and i actually think that was good in the end as Matt really didnt sing the winners single well, and he will do great anyway.

I am going to see Natalie and Matt and (hopefully) navyboi in January. I have a front row ticket.

Tonight i am going to see Shannon in concert. He will be awesome as he always is.

We are moving house, so finding a new place to live has also kept me busy. DD is going to New Farm, DS to Morningside and we are going to the Roma St Parklands. Our new place is gorgeous, really big and I just cant wait to be there. Less than 2 weeks now!!!!

Meanwhile, enjoy these pics of the final Idol 3.

where does the time go?

I cant believe how the year is zooming by. So much to do before Xmas. We have sold our house and are on the move at the end of the month. The shop has been very busy, with lots of classes happening. I am also putting together a school holiday program.

I did this LO at the crop on Saturday night and just love it. The paper is from One Heart One Mind. The photo I took in San Francisco from the open topped bus. I didnt even realise til i got them printed that i had caught a ghost looking back at me!!



I am really loving Idol this year. I think Matt, Nat and Carl should be the top3 as they were both great last night. Thank god that awful Tarasai went last week. I think(hope) Marty will go tonight. navyboi was so great last night...i loved him sining Me and Mrs Jones and his other song was way cool. Fingers crossed for tonight!!


Its almost a year since we left for overseas last year....seems like yesterday. we are currently planning our next trip next year to South Africa..and the year after we do a big trip to Europe. Have only printed about 1500 of the 4000 photos I took in USA/Canada and still have a few hundred to scrap, so i had better get going or I will have new ones to do before i know it!

happy scrapping!
xxx Debra

xmas album

I made a cute little xmas album in craftwood this week. Its all ready for my photos. I just covered the album in papers and added some rubons. I will probably add 2007 to the front page when i scrap it. I also put on lots or ribbons as i love ribbons.
The front.

One of the inside pages.




Very sad to see Daniel voted off idol, but i did think his voice was letting him down, still i liked him and just think Tarasai and Marty should go now. I am very pleased that navyboi got through! Whoo hooo!!! go you good thing!

on with the show...

I am very disappointed to report that one of my Idol favs, Ben, was voted off on Monday, and that he and Matt were the bottom 2. I just dont believe this at all. Anyway, thats the way it goes. Marty, tarasai, natalie should all have gone before him. Anyway, at least navyboi adn Daniel are still there.



The shop is going well, i have great new products in store with heaps more arriving this week and next. Today i stocked up on some cool, new papers and templates from ONE HEART ONE MIND. they are really great and all on the web site now. My plans for increasing shop stock are going along nicely too. I have new racks ready to put up and am picking up some paperstands next week. Looking forward to all the new arrivals..whooo hooo....

life as we know it

Life is busy as usual - not complaining, busy is fun!!

I have been catching up on my Patrick Wilson movies, my favourite actor. Yesterday I watched him play Raoul in Phantom of the Opera opposite Emmy Rossum. How beautiful that girl is. Patrick was just so handsome and gorgeous! I also watched him in Hard Candy - a thriller with him and Ellen Page, a young actress who did an excellent job in this strange but riveting film. Go PW!! On the weekend i saw The Alamo, in which he played William Travis. Not only was he fantastic in this - but i also learnt something about the Alamo which i kinda knew about but didnt really iykwim? Anyway, a feast of Patrick this week!

Apart from that i have been setting up some cool websites, more on this later. One thing that is now functional is my online class booking system for The Craft Attic. Customers can now go in and book themselves a place online. The classes run for 1 hour and are one on one. You can see my fab new booking system here...



I am also busy organising the new PHOTOSHOP class we are having. Getting lots of interest on this. Places are filling, so that is good news. I am also very excited that we will be running photography classes next year. Cant wait for that, plans are underway and dates are being reserved.

IDOL...mmm....not happy Jan! Cant believe 2 of my boys (Daniel and navyboi) were in the bottom 3. Luckily it was Jacob who went home this week. Forgot to say that Mark went home last week. Guess i was too excited about Daniel's touchdown! MATT got another well deserved touchdown....i keep waiting for Andrew to say (on Monday night) Matt...you sang....blablabla...and the public have agreed... YOU WIN!! Really, as much as i like some of the others, I think Matt is the best contestant EVERY on Australian Idol. Now, those that know me are probably saying "WHAT THE??? Better than Shannon?? " and the answer is yes, even better than my shann, which is saying something!

hi there

Another week gone and we have been very busy. The house is on the market and if you would like to see it there is a link below. Its ooking really great so hopefully it sells quickly.



Idol acoustic night was so great, with Daniel getting a touchdown for his version of Kiss' "i was made for loving you" and well deserved. Matt was again outstanding, Ben was great and navyboi was just fantastic!!! whoo hooo, he played the trumpet.



Scrapping has taken a backseat to getting the shop organised and doing my tax - i had to turn everything upsidedown to find all my tax stuff, so thought i may as well get it cleaned up and organised while i was at it.

stay well.
Debra

felt

very excited today as I got to play with the new Fancy Pants felt! How cool is this stuff.

Also did some things with the new Making Memories Flock and Foil - try saying that 3 times quickly when drunk!!

Anyway, they are both gorgeous so i am sharing what i have done with them. Just some trial stuff on the flock and foil and a LO with the felt.




On IDOL, Lana was eliminated and rightly so on Monday night. Matt got a well deserved TOUCHDOWN!! whoo hoo..... My boys did well. Sad to see Daniel in the bottom 3, many others should have been there ahead of him. I shall have to start voting.



cheers
Debra
xxx

updates of the day

Well, thank god, Brianna was voted off idol on Monday, about time! Thats all i'm gonna say about that. My 4 boys are still there....yay!!!!





I got Shannon's new CD yesterday, TURN IT UP! So far, i have listened to a couple of tracks and its really great! I am loving what he has done. I am sure i will be singing them all OUT LOUD soon.

On the shop front, i have new signage up and its fantastic! really stands out. So if you driving along Wynnum Rd toward the city, keep an eye out for my new signs, and tell me what you think.

cheers, Debra

Idol Moments

Australia Idol, one of my favourite shows, is back on again. With Dicko back and Kyle still there, its just great. Here are the top 11, last week saw the demise of Holly, so i have already dispensed with her.

Bottom 3 last week.
Holly, Lara, Brianna - I was so hoping Brianna went - cant stand her, but no such luck. Holly was a good second choice imo.

Catch up!

I havent been here for a while, life has gotten in the way again. I have rebuilt the Craft Attic online shop, installed a new cart , moved hosts and had my Community hacked in the last month, so that has been keeping me busy.

I wanted to share these ideas with you. How to use rubons? Well, in the first page i have made words out of them to cover part of the page.

In the second one i have created words but i have also put other words on it, so you have to find the words in it. Just some ideas to share.

I am also sharing with you part of a LO i have done on Newbury St in Boston, quirkly little street of shopping. These jeans in the window are really small, probably about 12-14inches high, and so cute, i couldnt resist taking this photo.


til next time...
xxx Debra

I did it!

Well, i completed my big race in record time and i am very pleased with myself. I crossed the line in 37.01 and hopefully once i get my real time i will be under the 37 mins, which i am very pleased with. It was VERY hard, but i felt really good once i completed it. I will keep you posted on my time. DH took a pic of me finishing and i will post it once i get it from his phone.

22854

That is my race number for tomorrow. I am a bit excited about it all, and a bit worried it wont complete it, but i am taking it like any other day i run - there will just be lots of people out running too, its fear of the unknown. I really want to do a good time. On Tuesday I ran 4.7km in under 40 mins [38.56 i think - PT was timing it for me], so i know i can do it. wish me luck!

dh's birthday is on Monday and i just decided this morning to do a mini album for him as an added gift, silly me - now i am working furiously to get it finished, its just a little fob watch - so cute. i am currently waiting for the dimension magic to dry - yes, decided i had to do that as well - lol...should have thought of all this last week!

I shall be back to post my race time during the week.

BUSY!

Life has been very busy lately and the year is just slipping away, cant believe its almost August, and that means dh's birthday. I made him this cute flowerpot card.



I am still training for my big race next Sunday, i am now able to run 4km at least and PT says the crowd will bring me home the final 1/2 km, heres hoping! I am quite excited about doing this. My race kit should arrive next week.

On the Attic front, we are having 2 market days, so if you have stash that you want to sell, now is your chance. The days will be held on 7th/8th Sept with extended trading hours at this time. Full details are in store or via the newsletter.

We are also doing a Fathers Day class special for the kids on 18th August. Kids will get to make a fob watch project for Dad.

I havent been doing much scrapping lately, but hope to change that soon. I think i need to print some new photos to get some inspiration. I have been making some cards though and working on designs for classes as well.

I have seen a couple of good movies lately, Premonition with Sandra Bullock and Julian McMahon and a movie called Evening with a stellar cast, but my favourite discovery in that movie is Patrick Wilson, i have now gone Patrick mad, having discovered he was in Phantom, Little Children, Hand Candy and a host of broadway shows. Not only a fantastic actor, a dish but he can sing up a storm [not one of those actors who can hold a tune but a real live singer]. So if you get the chance to see Patrick in a movie, do so! I have also found out that my fav Wentworth Miller starred in Human Stain as the young version of Anthony Hopkins character, so guess i am off to the video shop today and park myself in front of the tele to watch these movies....lol...

Here is a pic of Patrick.


Hope whatever you are doing, you are having fun! Keep on scrapping!
xx Debra

I've been tagged by Amanda

Here's the deal:
1-post these rules
2-each person tagged must post 8 random (... hopefully interesting) facts about themselves
3-tags should write a blogpost of these facts
4- at the end of the post 8 more bloggers are tagged and named
5-go to their blog and leave a comment telling them they're tagged

Here's my eight facts...

1. I was born in a 4bed hospital in NSW 4days before Xmasand my mother was the only one left in the hospital on Xmas day.

2. I lived in a garage in Canberra (2 different ones actually) when i was young - yes, that's a garage on someone else's house block

3. I have lived in 27 different houses so far in my life (including the garages)

4. I have flown all around Australia by plane except the bit between Kunanurra and Darwin.

5. My son was born on the 13th as was my sister and I was born on the 21st as was her son

6. I seriously bit my fingernails until aged 36 years old, when i just stopped.

7. I didnt learn to running write, but learnt italics, a new concept in my school back then. Needless to say it didnt last long. Even today i cant running write to save myself, but i can print nicely.

8. I once got lost going from Hobart to Launceston and the trip ended up taking 8 hours (Tassie is bigger than you think!) including running into a BIG rock driving on black ice.

Thats my 8.... i tag

Kim
Cindy
Sandie
Linda
Kerryn

sorry, thats all i have got! shall have to do.

cool background

I made this cool background using old Basic Grey alpha stickers, i think it looks so cool! I love this photo of dh walking down Commonwealth Ave in Boston, the photo lifts up to reveal the journalling. the hinges are cardstock ones that one of my lovely customers [thanks Amanda!] brought back from Canada for me last year.

doodling

Hi,
I wanted to share with you my first effort at doodling on a LO. Its not very good,but i am not going to change it. I did it with some white paint and a thin brush, i just started and found i couldnt stop...i quite like the busy feel it creates on my NY layout. I am sure it would have been better if i had used a white gel pen like i was planning to...but there you go.

Last days of The Craft Attic sale and then stocktaking for the next few days to keep me busy, I shouldnt complain, i have scrapped about 30 layouts in the last week....

til next time
Debra

Love these letters

I just wanted to share with you this layout - actually only the bottom half, that i did using these new clear letters from MM, called Funky Vintage - arent they just gorgeous? They are also sticky backed, which makes putting them on a breeze, no glue everywhere. The LO is my parents wedding. The swirls i created with the new AL stamps. Way cool! They are going on EVERYTHING atm.

Hope everyone is keeping warm in this cooler weather. Its been positively cold here in Brisbane, everyone is rugging up. My dd tells me its because of La Nina.

Countdown to 5 Aug

I am signing myself up for a 4.5km fun run, its part of the Bridge to Brisbane, held here on 5 Aug. My trainer doesnt think i will be ready for the 12km run, due to my lack of training because of my broken elbow, however, i am out running again now and on the countdown to enter the smaller event, the 4.5km.

I am just back from a run, I did the floating walkway in 24min 32secs, thats down on my previous time. I have to run about double that distance in order to complete the race, but at least its a start.

Over at TCA we are having a sale with a difference, starting tomorrow customers in store will be able to spin their own discount, anywhere from 5% to 45% is up for grabs. the bingo machine is loaded, so that should be a bit of fun during the week.

We are in our 4th challenge of AI Challenge 2007 and there have been lots of great layouts completed, and prizes handed out to lucky winners. Its still not too late to join us. Just visit the community for details.

If you are looking for scrapbooking classes TCA is offering a WINTER SPECIAL of just $12 per class. See the class schedule for details.

til next time....
cheers
Debra

Amish Country

Here is a layout i did a few weeks back, with pics taken while we were in Amish country, in Pennsylvania. The countryside was so beautiful and with horse drawn buggies clip clopping everywhere, it was so quaint.

Tomorrow i am going to an all day class with Bumblebee - working on the Collections range of products. Cheree, who teaches at TCA is coming with me. Should be a fun day. I will share with you the results later in the week.

On the elbow front, things are improving everyday, still a way to go before i can straighten it fully, and have full functionality back. I am now going to physio with good results [all those people who nagged me to do so may now roll their eyes and say 'i told you so'...lol...]

been a while...

I havent been doing much blogging lately, lost my blogging mojo....but i have been doing lots of scrapping, hampered a little by my sore arm, but thats another story. Today i wanted to share with you some cards i made, and also a cool title - i got the idea off the One Little Word blog. Check out their blog or email me if you want to know how i did it.

i've been tagged!

the lovely Kim has tagged me! Thanks for the rules Kim [below].

Here's the rules:

Each player starts with 7 random facts/habits about themselves. People who are tagged need to blog about their seven things and post the rules as well. At the end of your blog, you need to choose 7 people to get tagged and list their names. Don't forget to leave them a comment telling them that they have been tagged and to read your blog!

1. i am the baby of my family
2. i've had a spinal fusion and have plates and screws holding my back together
3. my first ever broken bone occurred on good friday 2007 at aged 50!
4. i love reality tv
5. i dont like animals
6. i used to love watching sport, now i dont like it at all
7. i am going to live til i am 100!

i am tagging ... everyone i read has been tagged lots so might have to leave this til i think of people...

in the news

The article about The Craft Attic has appearded in our local paper...yay! Any publicity is good publicity so they say, so thought i would share with you all.

3 weeks tomorrow since i did my injury. getting better every day but let me say i am really OVER wearing the sling. at least i am able to drive again [sorta]. the worst thing is the typing....tap tap tap....

a couple of more weeks before i am back to normal [!!!]

the best laid plans...

well, i had big plans for the easter weekend, but the came unstuck on friday morning out for my usual exercise and i fell over and broke my elbow. now i am in a sling for 4-6 weeks and thats a pain! can't drive, or dress myself or cut my food...i could go on and on with my list of can'ts....lol... especially can't scrap!!!! the worst thing of all.

hopefully i will be healed quickly and back to normal. this one hand typing is the pits.

last night we went to trivia - supposed to be the easy night - and did shockingly, roll on next mon so we can redeem ourselves with harry.

xx debra

Scrappin' USA

I am finally on a roll with scrapping my USA/Canada pictures from my recent trip. I got 300 printed last weekend and this week managed to do some layouts, with the help of Kim running at cybercrop at The Craft Attic on Wednesday.

Here i am sharing with you my Ally McBeal layout. This is the building used as the facade for Ally's offices. I also used my new brad'n'eyelet template to do the curves. Loving these new tools - more on the way next week!

Generations

Here are some LOs i scrapped this week for my family history book. I have been very slack lately but maybe i have my mojo back again, as i have done 3 LOs today and completed 1 that i had sitting around since last year. Here's hoping!

BABY ME is me (duh!) when i was about 9 months old. I started this last year, and finally completed it today.

SALLY AND HER SISTER - this is my great-grandmother (thats her on the left) and her sister Ellen. Isnt this the most gorgeous photo! I love how the photographer has set this up.

HANNAH - this is my great-great grandmother (mother of the Sally and her sister). She looks pretty cranky, eh? But i think its just cause she is not smiling. The photo was taken in 1915 and i found on the back of the original my grandmother had written her name and the date. Wasnt that lucky - and how special it was to see a sample of my grandmothers handwriting when she was about 13. There is a good case for you doing hand journalling on your pages!!

I read somewhere recently that the reason noone smiled in photos back then was because it took so long for the photo exposure time that they would have had aching face muscles - and they wouldnt have been able to stay in the same pose for the required length of time.

I consider myself very lucky indeed to have these old photos.
cheers
Debra

Whole day of scrapping!

Yesterday i had a whole day scrapping at Bumblebee Crafts, the Making Memories ladies from US took us through making a whole album in day! That's right, 30 pages in the day. I got about 75% of each page done, didnt put photos on, only the first page as a placeholder, i had one photocopied photo and used that (didnt scan very well!)

It was a fantastic day. I won a book, the new Making Memories Show & Tell book, which is fantastic!

I have to now complete my album - no excuses! Better get my skates on.

Photos

I have been sorting through my photos that i took while i was away, and grouping them by city. Its funny how a photo can evoke a feeling or memory in an instant. Arent we lucky that we have such technology? I remember my mum taking little black & white photos of us when we were young (i have oodles of them). I even have some box brownies that i got off ebay. How far technology has come in my lifetime. Now, there is a good subject for a scrap page! Must do that one!

The shop continues to go well, i am very lucky to have secured the services of 2 great scrapbooking teachers. Donna and Cheree both have fantastic, and very different, styles. Classes start tomorrow!

White Tubas

Thought i would share these pics with you that i took in New York, there were all these young kids walking through Grand Central station (which is always packed) and they were walking along in single file with white tubas. They were promoting something that was happening that afternoon, so occasionally they would stop and announce the event. When i spotted them i chased them all over the station to get some pics, it was just such a funny site!

I have decided i had better get moving and look at all the photos i took o/seas so i can get scrapping on them. A big task!

til next time,
cheers
Debra

More Technology Issues

I am having yet more technology issues - this time my whole Craft Attic website, community, gallery, admin and email has disappeared!!!! Yes, thats right, i cant do anything. Its totally my fault (i think), I downloaded some dodgy software and i think this has caused virus to attack my website. I have asked my service provided to roll the whole thing back to Friday last week, with the hope that whatever i did yesterday will then disappear. Even photos that i have on my web server (eg, my blog photo) cant be accessed. Oh dear, i have my fingers cross that it can be fixed, or else i am stuffed as i dont have a recent backup. I was actually doing a back up of the site last night but didnt get it completed as it kept bombing out. So, my fingers are well and truly crossed!

On a better note, today i bought some second hand dividers (like they used to have in old government offices) for the shop, They are going to be used to display samples. I am really looking forward to getting to work on them and making them look great. My BIL also gave me some old cupboard doors from his house and i have put these up to divide the workroom of the shop from the rest of the shop. I will also use these to display my work.

Also, very excited to have 2 new teachers starting in store in a week or so. More on this later in the week....

Arrrrgh!!! Technology!

I have had such problems these last couple of days with technology, things just not working. Its very frustrating and just reinforces how much I rely on it. Anyway, hopefully everything is fixed now and I can get back to normal.

On another note, i have included a picture that was taken of me in The Ink Pad in New York - such a small shop but packed full of stamps. They were such lovely people there too, and they even got some stamps in for me especially. I would definitely recommend this place if you are going to NY. Its easy to access on the subway. I am happy to give directions if you need them.

Friday Already!

Where did the week go? I opened on Monday at my new Morningside location, after help from dh and dd over the weekend to get things organised. It was a rush but great to be back up and running. I had lots of customers, many of my "old" customers came by to say hello and goodluck which was just lovely.

During the week i have had new customers come by (great!!) and also lots of customers that used to visit me in Carina. I havent done any scrapping since i got back but am itching to do so. Tonight we are cropping in the shop, I am looking forward to getting creative, especially with all my new stamps and products.

The Attic Inspiration Competition will be starting up again soon. Those of you who did it last year (thank you) know how much fun it was, as well as being a great way to complete layouts. This year you will be given 2 weeks to complete each challenge, plus there will be bigger and better weekly prizes and a big end of competition prize as well. Stay tuned for more on that in a couple of weeks.

I am currently in the process of arranging to have some "guest" teachers come in to the shop to teach. Ngaire Bartlam is one of them, as soon as i get enough interest i shall organise to have her in. So those of you who live in this area, dont forget to register your interest next time you are in store.

Hope you all had a great week! Til next time,
Debra

Can I Buy A Vowel?

Last night we went to trivia - me, dh, dd, ds - it was great fun. Our team name was "Can I buy a vowel" (in reference to Wheel of Fortune). The questions we not that hard, and having ds there to answer all the sport and 2000's music questions was a great bonus. We came 10th out of 18 teams and were pleased with that. We also WON round 3 and got a $20 bar tab voucher.

Anyone wanting to go to trivia in Brisbane should check out one of Harry's Trivia nights, he is great. Harry (of the infamous Sale of the Century debacle) runs a great night.

Yesterday was also moving into the shop day, so a pretty big day for me. Everything went very smoothly. One of my customers even popped in to say hello, which was a lovely suprise.

til next time
cheers
Debra

Moving Soon

We have just come back from dinner with friends - just a quick stop at the pub and to catch up. Today DH and i went to the new shop to clean up a bit, wash the windows etc so we are pretty tired. He also sprayed for bugs and then on Monday the movers are coming to move the stuff from the lockup to the shop.

Opening day is Monday week 12th Feb - i do hope it get customers. I remember my first day opening in Carina and how nervous i was that no-one would turn up, and how happy i was when i had a few customers that first day! phew! I am sure i will get some curious people wander in if nothing else. I have a lot to do before then, but really excited about it all.

I have included a map for those wanting to see where its located.

I am sooooo looking forward to getting back to my scrapping and cardmaking and to see all my supplies again - it will be just like Xmas. First job is to make a Valentines card for DH.

Introducing Henry

Here is my new bear Henry - isnt he gorgeous? I made him in San Francisco at the Brown Bear Factory - his shirt says "stuffed in san francisco". I chose him, stuffed him, gave him a heart, then the lady sewed him up, after that he got put through an air shute twice to blow the extra bits of fluff off him. DH put him through one end and i caught him at the other...lol...

I named him after my grandfather who was Henry Brown and since my Henry came from the Brown bear factory i thought it was appropriate.

The people making the bears are on site, they also make the clothes. I chose the Tshirt and then got him the grey track pants as i thought he needed some pants.