Lyn's thoughts..........

It's raining in the Yarra Valley & National Scrapbooking Day

We have had rain throughout the night here in the YARRA VALLEY and it's drizzling now.

Our tank is full which is great......and the garden is getting a lovely soaking.

Can't go for my morning walk yet........maybe later.....

What are you doing for National Scrapbooking Day? May 2nd.....

I'll be also sharing Step by Step Instructions for this little Mini Album.....

We have lots of project shares and fun and games happening all day this coming Saturday May 2nd on the Fiskars Craft Blog.....Fiskars Craft Blog

Brrrrr....it's freezing ......as snow falls on Mount Donna Buang

It's turned really cold here today as snow is falling on Mount Donna Buang.....so glad I made that pot of Soup yesterday.......it's freezing outside....such a contrast in weather conditions from earlier in the week.

We have the Coonara roaring and the house is nice and cosy........pity we have to go out ....LOL!

We know when there is snow falling on Mount Donna Buang by the bite in the air.....light snow if falling up there....so great for sightseers when it's like this ....the fresh snow is just gorgeous!

....and Brian and Jess will be home soon for a visit.......before heading off again to Queensland........oh what a life.....to be young and free.........

Tim has gone to Sydney for the weekend to see Chris Donovan with Brett.....they have driven up.....left Friday back tonight sometime......gosh...a long drive for a few days.....

..and my Photo A Day(Day 26) pic for today before the rain pelted down........these are the changing colour of the Molass Azalea near our back verandah...I love Autumn in the garden.......so many changes happening.......non more so than the changing of the leaves.....

Anyone for SOUP?

With the weather turning cooler and having grown our own Pumpkins, Onions and Parsley...I decided to make a large pot of Pumpkin Soup today!

YUMMO!

I love homemade soup with bread rolls.....a real family favourite during colder weather.

I also added some Sweet Potatoes and Potatoes...and a dash of curry powder! This just gives it a little "twang".....LOL!

We grow the Parsley in a pot near the back door....so that it's nice and handy to pick fresh to add to cooking!     Who else makes their own soup??

So that's my pic for today..... only have 5 days left until the end of April.....and then I'll have our Photo A Day pics for April completed.......woohoo..... I need to print off the last few days pics and add them to my Mini Album.

Finished off the last of the 8 FISKARS table cloths today......only have to iron and package them up to send to Head Office ready for the PERTH Craft and Quilt Fair!

I'm loving my new Brother Sewing MACHINE.......I'm going to tackle a little baby project next.....sh.....sh.....sh....

Lest we forget ~ It's Anzac Day

ANZAC DAY....so what are you doing today?

Today is a time to reflect and remember those that helped make this country the great country that it is today ......LEST WE FORGET!!

My Grand father served in World War 1 and I know how proud he was of his War Medallions and attending the ANZAC DAY March to the Shrine in Melbourne for many years.

Whilst surfing the net this morning I came across this site offering FREE DIGITAL ANZAC DAY Kit  for today only!

So why not take a peek if you are interested in doing some Digital /Hybrid Scrapbooking for ANZAC DAY !!

Back later with my Photo A Day....off to watch the local footy tomorrow......Woori Yallock play Wandin at home......yep....being played SUNDAY this weekend!

GO TIGERS!!

Anyone want to join me.....for some outside sewing ?

Here's my photo for today for my Photo A Day Mini Album....look unusual?

LOL!

Well it's been such gorgeous weather here lately so I wanted to enjoy the sunshine and work outside for awhile today .....just to have a break from the computer and get out in the fresh country air!

 I have 8 table cloths to make for FISKARS.........so what better way than to set up my sewing machine outside in the garden where I could watch the birds and enjoy the sunshine........so much better than being cooped up inside in front of a computer ....LOL!

Those of you who know me well know that our garden is something we really love......and I just loved working outside today.......don't know why I haven't done this more often.....I just loved it.....so did Rojo our cat.

She wasn't so impressed when she couldn't sit on top of the table.....LOL!

It's been great taking a pic each day of APRIL.....really makes you think about what you want to take a pic of.....and there are only 7 days to go....woohoo....and then the Album is finished......

Photo A Day ~ Day 21 & family update

I brought some silk flowers from the Melbourne Stitches and Craft Show in March and decided to embellish my Tool Table Tote that I shall use at my demos this year.

( click on the pic for an enlarged view)

 I normally take a Fiskars Trolley to these demos but I always need something for on the table ...to hold the tools that I'm Demonstrating.......so what do you think?

I think it looks much prettier than my old tool tote......and it makes me smile to see the flowers around the basket......a real good feel about it!

So that's my pic for today......for anyone who wants to try something like this...it pays to have good quality flowers....they will then last for ever....they can be easily cleaned....and you only need a glue gun and some glue sticks to attach the flowers to the basket......easy peasy!

FAMILY UPDATE!
Brian and Jess are going well in the Barossa Valley.....last week for them over there.Then they head back to paint their house in Rochester....quick trip home to catch up with family and then they are heading to Queensland...so change of plans as they travel far North......and may head to Perth later in the year.

Brendan and Sally had a lovely holiday in Port Douglas for the school holidays....both are back at work now......and enjoying teaching! Sally is going well with her pregnancy.....she is very healthy and feeling great......hardly any morning sickness...lucky thing!

Tim is nearly finished with his current building job with his friend....and is looking at getting another car...now he has some more money to purchase one.....anyone got an old ute....or panel van they want to sell that would suit a builder?

Mike is in between work at the moment and looking for work....will do anything...just hard at the moment getting work for him.....he wants to travel again but needs to work a bit longer to get more funds to travel again.

Rod has been doing some maintenance around the house the past few weeks now the WATERGARDEN SEASON has closed until November. So he has been cleaning our flue.....and gardening.....next job is some painting.....and ordering a new bath,cabinet and shower screen before we go on holidays in June.

Tim will then pull out the old bathroom bits and pieces and put in the new pieces whilst we are away.....so that it can be completed when we return and the boys can use our ensuite.

Rod will then do the tiling of the walls and floor when we return......so plenty to keep him busy during the off-season....he,he. We haven't changed the bathroom for 33 years so I guess we can justify doing it......LOL!

I'll leave you all today with a close up of the flowers.....aren't they gorgeous!

So do you want to make one of these  ??

Photo a Day ~ Day 18,19,20

ok...so I'm a bit behind here with my Photo a Day shares.....so here are the last 3 days.....I have taken pics each day from April 1st and I've just run off these pics tonight so that makes me up to date at adding them into my "Photo a Day" Album also........ooh...feels so good to know that I have great memories of every day moments recorded into my FUN ALBUM!

DAY 18 ~ We purchased a new suitcase ready for our holiday ~ YEAH!!

....and notice the colors of the case.........yep....FISKARS black and orange......and I didn't even choose it.....Rod did....so funny!!

We wanted to have 2 light weight suitcases to take on the plane when we fly to Darwin and not have to take our EXTRA LARGE SUITCASE that weighs an absolute ton even without any clothes in it.

 DAY 19 ~ Just took some pics of my gnomes hiding in the back garden.....I love them!

Notice the Parsley in the pot......yep....we have it near the back door so that it is nice and handy to use most days.....I love the fact that the more you pick the parsley...the more it grows back.....

 

DAY 20 ~ New hanging pot pulling thingy set u-p today!

 

We brought some of these gadgets at the recent International Melbourne Flower and Garden Show so that I can lower the hanging baskets to water them easily without having to stretch up so high....and you can lower them by lifting up gently and then letting them fall and then you stop them at the height you wish them to be at.....

So it means that I can also alter the height of the hanging baskets every week or so for a change.....I just love these things...... makes life so much easier.....

Kids Workshops @ Sydney Craft & Quilt Fair

I have been creating some fun workshops for FISKARS recently for the Creative Zone Kids/Beginners Workshops to be held in June at Darling Harbour,Sydney and then in Melbourne in July/Brisbane in October.

Sure had fun creating these and hope the kids do also!
  They can choose either the Heidi Grace Orchard Kit or the Heidi Grace Love Blossoms Kit.....as well as a Cloud 9 Board Book in a Box....and then they shall have fun punching,stamping,distressing,cutting and doodling.........

These Creative Zone Classes are designed for Kids aged 8-16 and Beginner Papercrafters!!
 

So what do you think?

I'd love to know what others think of these projects!

 Feel free to leave a comment below......WOWIE I have had over 100 hits on here in the first hour of posting this......love seeing people from around the world on here.....you can see where my visitors come from by looking on the world map on the right hand sidebar....see it over there?

I find this fascinating watching where I am attracting visitors from.......and one of them is YOU!!

Kids Class at Simply Scrapbooking

What a great bunch of Kids we had on Wednesday at Simply Scrapbooking in Eltham,Victoria!

It was an absolute pleasure teaching you all.......I know some of you are already busting to come back next School Holidays and that's fantastic.

Here are some pics of some of the class on Wednesday with permission from their parents! ENJOY!

Adam ~ 10 years          Adam comes back each lot of school holidays and he was delighted that we allowed the kids to choose their own Kits today.......something new this time around and the kids loved it!

This isn't a great pic....as the colour of Adam's paper was blue......it looks quite pale here.....

Adam has now started his own Scrapbooking Album and he brought it in to show me today....it's fabulous Adam.....so very well done!

Rebecca really enjoyed the class!  Her word was "Besties"

We let the 4 older children paint on some Making Memories stamps.....they had to look at their photo and choose one word.....then we gave them paint, a foam brush and some foam stamps....lots of fun hey kids! 

See if you can spy the FISKARS BORDER PUNCHES in the background.......can you see them?

Emily had a blast today with her Christmas photo.....

.....and a close up of Emily's Christmas layout.....

These two 8 years olds were the youngest in the class today and are best friends.....can you tell.......LOL!

The kids also completed a Mother's Day Card as well as the 12 x 12 layout in the 2 hour class today which was wonderful but I forgot to take the pics....duh!!

So if there are other children out there reading this or parents wishing to get their children started in a craft......then I highly recommend booking your children into a local Craft Store for a few lessons...the kids will love it!

We had the kids using the trimmers and scissors themselves today and they got to also use buttons on their cards with some black pen doodling in dots......such fun!

See you all next school holidays kids!!

We have some KIDS CHALLENGES for the month of APRIL over at Fiskars Craft Aus/NZ Blog

April Kids Challenges

I'm b..........................a............c...............k

I'm still around...just have taken a break over EASTER to re-charge the batteries......and have some time away at our holiday house in Paynesville.

I have taken pics each day and have now printed them all and added them to my Album. The pic above was taken on GOOD FRIDAY through the windows of the Raymond Island Ferry!

My long time friend Kay invited me over for lunch on GOOD FRIDAY so it was lovely to just jump on the ferry and then walk over to her house in 6th Avenue....the roads over on Raymond Island are all signed as 1st,2nd,3rd etc......and all the even numbered roads run parallel to each other....same for the odd numbered streets.......makes them easy to find!

 ....and the pic below is of my new toy.........so of course I had to have that with me the past week to play with.

.......sheez these modern sewing machines make life so much easier......it has an automatic needle threader....love it!

My last machine was a Singer and even with my glasses on I found it hard to thread the needle.......LOL! 

So what do you think was the first thing I created?? Well I played around with a sampler for awhile and then just had to play around with some of my FISKARS TOOLS ,stamps and when I combined skills with the sewing machine and FISKARS TOOLS....here's the result!

Here's some of the FISKARS TOOLS that I used......forgot to include the rotary trimmer and squeeze punch!(This fancy corner rounder squeeze punch was sent to me by May from the Fiskateers last year )

I'm off to Eltham to teach my next KIDS SCRAPBOOKING CLASS in the morning....woohoo....

I love teaching these kids....and it's great to see some of these kids coming back time and time again each lot of school holidays!

Must call in and see Heidi at Scrappy Hollow also to confirm my availability for the BIGGEST MORNING TEA in May! This is one event I love Volunteering my services for each year......with all money raised going to the Cancer Council!

I HAVE DONE THIS THE PAST 5 YEARS! WILL ANNOUNCE THE DATE ON HERE WHEN I CAN......

I love my Voluntary work for Charity.....I've missed it this year.....so I plan to do more in the second half of this year! Whilst working and getting paid is nice......it's also important for ME to do Voluntary work....as that's what I love doing...it feeds my soul with positiveness and it's nice to get some acknowledgement from others in the Community as they appreciate what is done for them!