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

Sharing our garden in the Springtime here in the YARRA VALLEY

I love going away for a week and then coming home to new growth in our garden....it always amazes me how quickly nature can change around us......and that's why both Rod and I get so much pleasure from our garden.....here's a  few pics taken this week on our return from Brisbane.......ENJOY! Firstly on our back table......this opened while we were away....

The gorgeous smell of lavender now adorns our back door and under our bedroom window....I picked some to dry......so I've hung it near the back door so we get the benefit of the lovely smell whilst it is drying out....and then I'll make up some lavender bags for Christmas pressies......ooh....I think I got a bee in the pic.....LOL!

The roses are now all blooming....they just look stunning up the driveway and also out the back......these are some of our favourite.....can you see why?

The fushias in the hanging baskets are looking lovely also.....

....and lastly the two Kangaroo Paws that we planted this time last year....are looking great......

Can you see why we love our garden? It's hard work at times to maintain.....but it gives us so much pleasure.....it far outways the hard work! Most of it is easy to maintain now though......

I've managed to have a bit of a play around with the NEW Fiskars 3 in 1 Floral Fastener that I was sent from the US while ago........it makes great bows.......similar to the Fiskars Bow Maker that you may have seen on the shelves in stores....especially Spotlight stores....only this tool is really three tools in 1......it bands the stems.....you can add a pick to a stem with a metal clip....makes it easy then to add to floral foam....and you can also make fabulous bows to place on your floral arrangement!

We are finishing off some pricing this weekend also.....getting ready for the BLUE LOTUS WATERGARDEN SEASON OPENING......

BLUE LOTUS WATER GARDEN
OPENING TIMES FOR NEW SEASON ARE:

MAIL ORDER --- OPEN ALL YEAR ROUND

Mail Order Enquiries Call Joe : 0412328287

Watergarden, Boutique and Plant Nursery
Open 7th november 2009 until 4th april 2010
***OPEN 6 DAYS A WEEK (closed mondays)***

General Enquiries Call Geoff : 0418 350 339

Punches have arrived from the US...woohoo a great RAK to win

* * UPDATE ~ FEDEX man just left.......yeha! See down the bottom of this post for further details.....

 

How would you like to have the chance to win one of the NEW Fiskars Seasonal Squeeze Punches?

How about "Pine For Me"?

Keep an eye on here for further details in the coming week.....REBECCA PECK(LEAD FISKATEER in the US) IS SENDING ME OVER SOME TO GIVE AWAY on here.....how cool is that!

So I'll be announcing a RAK on here once the product arrives....should be coming FED-EX tomorrow Rebecca tells me.......so stay tuned......are you a FISKATEER YET? Make sure you join up in the next week....it's fun...it's free.....and it's Fiskars!

Don't you just love "Bistro Brew"?

What about "Cardinal's Song"

I love this other Christmas ONE......"JINGLE BULB"...

* * *UPDATED Tuesday October 27th ......12pm

I have been tracking the arrival of these fabulous punches that Rebecca is sending me with the FED-EX tracking number....hey...what fun....the product has now hit Australian shores....woohoo......it's in NSW.....and will be on it's way to Victoria later today.......so I'll be taking a pic and posting up a RAK on here soon.....so stay tuned!!

I should have it here in the YARRA VALLEY by Thursday/Friday I would imagine.

SO you still have time to join up to the Fiskateers.

....REMEMBER you must be an Aussie or New Zealand Fiskateer to  win one of these Punches.

WOW the FEDEX man has just dropped off these fabulous punches on my door step and a few other giveways ....some scissor pins and some fabulous stickers......a HUGE thank you to Rebecca(Lead Fiskateer in the US)

ok.....I'm going to make you work for these.....LOL! ok....you must be an Aussie OR New Zealand Fiskateer to be eligible to win one of the seasonal punches......but anyone can win the stickers or pins.....fair enough!

All you have to do is leave a comment below here telling me your Fiskateer Number and why you love being a Fiskateer........ALL Aussie/NZ Fiskateers can enter.....even Ambassadors...yeh!

If you aren't yet a Fiskateer......then join up and then come back and let me know......it's that simple.

ok.....you have until Monday Nov 2nd to get those comments in......and then I'll draw some random winners ..............GOOD LUCK!

Gosh they look so good in real life.....I might not want to part with these beauties.....LOL!

xoxo

Lyn Dwyer

November Fun ~ Shows and In-store Make'n'takes

Whilst Rod is off to Adelaide to work at the Craft and Quilt Fair next week I'm off to Whittlesea Show on Nov 6th to JUDGE the SCRAPBOOKING SECTIONS in the CRAFT COMPETITION!

I've never been to this show but I'm hearing that it it is a HUGE SHOW...and very popular.....judging by the number of SCRAPBOOKING entries this year.....it will take me ALL DAY.......but hey....I love my Voluntary Work.......and I'm so looking forward to my Involvement at this Show! I believe they have some of the same Stewards as they have at the Royal Melb Show.....so will be lovely to catch up with these guys.....they are great fun!

Two days later...Nov 8th I head to EAST GIPPSLAND with my scrapping buddy and very good friend Carolyn......ready to do the VIP XMAS NIGHT on NOV. 10th in SPOTLIGHT BAIRNSDALE from 6-9pm.

We are planning on staying a few days and having some relaxing time out.....and maybe getting some Christmas Cards completed together.  We always have a great time when we craft together......loads of fun....lots of laughs......

November 13/14th sees me working at PAPERIFIC EXPO in Melbourne....more on this Show to come.......I'm working on the Door both days....I just love meeting people as they come in and out......love chatting to them and seeing what they have purchased.....it's right up my alley.....LOL!

I can't wait until PAPERIFIC EXPO comes around again.........I love working at this show....and although Stacey Apeitos has sold.....Naomi Swan shall continue to ensure that this show remains one of the best in Australia for PAPERCRAFT LOVERS! It really is a friendly and fun Show....a show that both retailers and consumers always support!

The expo runs for three days:
9.30am to 5pm - Friday and Saturday
9.30am to 4pm - Sunday

adults: $10
seniors & full-time students: $8
kids under ten: free

As always there will be free demos,
artist trading card swaps and those wonderful
free Make and Takes (seven of them)!

I'm working for Naomi on the door on the Friday/Saturday....watch out for Fiskars Craft Ambassador Wendy Steward also on the Saturday as she is working on the CATCHY CRAFTS STAND demoing FISKARS TOOLS.

SO if you are coming in....I'll see you on the door.....and Wendy shall also see you and be only too happy to answer any qestions you may have about the FISKARS TOOLS.......I know Dina is going to have all the NEW Border Punches along with lots of others Fiskars Tools on her Stand......

Look who else is coming.....I'm sure some of these retailers will also be selling Fiskars Tools!

November Exhibitors
(officially booked-in
so far)

Alison Ellis Design
All About Scrapbooking
Art Stamps Australia
Arnold's Scrapbooking
AZZA French Style Scrapbooking
Cardmaking.net
Catchy Crafts
Craft Queen
Crafts R Us
Creative Cottage Crafts
Creative Memories
De-signs - Made By Me!
Eclectic Images
Dragonfly Crafts
Fat Cats Card Corner
Handprint
J&P Craft
Karen's Scrappin Kupboard
Kaszazz
Little Bits
Memories 2 Remember
Paper Squared
Pipe Dreamink
Ribbon Palace
Scrappit
Scrapmatts.com
Scraptacular
Scrappers Delite
Stampin' Up
Stampworld
Skat Katz
Twiddleybitz
Wedding Stationery Supplies
Yazzii

Plus an exhibition of
SoulCollage®

There is also a TRADE  Area on the Friday from 10am -7pm for retailers to order supplies from....

November Trade Event Exhibitors
(booked in so far -
more to come!)

Absolutely Something for Everyone
Darkroom Door
Green Tara
J&P Craft
Reed Craft Supplies
Samara Paper
Scrapbooking Bitz
SNJ Signature Sensations
Stamp It

See you  IN A FEW WEEKS.......I'll be on the Door....so you won't miss me....LOL!

xoxo

Lyn

Some pics from Brisbane

I thought I'd share some of the many pics I took this past week whilst up in Brisbane.....we loved this city....so easy to walk everywhere....and we were amazed at the HUGE BUSWAYS they have up there.....so different to Melbourne.

Everyone just uses the bus....or they walk......many crossing the Brisbane River to work each day.....we walked from Wickhams Terrace each day to the Exhibition Centre which was on the other side of the river.....so we had a couple of kms to walk each morning and night.....but it was such an interesting walk....we loved it....passing many pretty flower gardens,city shops and of course the Brisbane River.....over looking Southbank on one side and the Treasury Casino on the other.      This building was amazing inside....so much character and charm about it!

ok...here are a few pics......most taken at night....

Rod and I went on this EYE in the SKY WHEEL at SOUTHBANK on the Friday evening.....but I took this pic from the boat on the Sat night.....below is the Storey Bridge which is lit up each night.......it is just beautiful at night...and the Paddle Steamer was just passing as I took this pic......

We saw so many Jacaranda trees out in bloom....including this one at Southbank...near the BIG WHEEL......and they have these "GO CARDS" in BRISBANE....that allow you to travel on the River Boats,train and buses ....a bit like the MET CARD here in Victoria......

....and it pays to look up when in a shopping centre in Brisbane......look what I found......

Catch up

WOW....home again now after a lovely week in Brisbane! SO I'm playing catch up now and trying to unpack,water hanging baskets,pick some of our roses that have bloomed in our absence.......catch up on emails...and return phone calls......you know the usual.......LOL!

Chooks are still laying ....which is great.....they sometimes go awol when we go away...but this time they have continued to lay....think Michael must have been letting them out each day....which is what we like to do with them....when we are around home.....they love the freedom to roam around the back paddock and our back lawn.......giving them lots of green feed.....and lots of opportunity to find some grubs.....etc......

Back tomorrow with some more pics I took in Brisbane...some at the Craft and Quilt Fair...and some of the sights of Brisbane.....such a pretty city....and a walkable city.......we walked everywhere.....loved it!

Out and About in Brisbane

We have been having a lovely time up here in Brisbane and I've been taking many ,many pics on our daily walks to and from the hotel where we are staying........check out the Museum at night.......so darn pretty! In the next pic I just changed the setting to see what effect I would get......

I just love walking past the Museum each day.......ok better be off......Trea,Rod and I are meeting Angela O'Neale and her hubby for dinner at the Treasury Casino tonight. Looking forward to working at the Craft and Quilt Fair tomorrow with the TEAM! I overcame my fear of hights to go on this..... the EYE in the SKY at SOUTHBANK.....OMG....What a fabulous view you get overlooking Brisbane!   We loved it!!

Lyn

Giveaway time again .....woohoo

 

How would you like to have the chance to win one of the NEW Fiskars Seasonal Squeeze Punches?

How about "Pine For Me"?

Keep an eye on here for further details in the coming week.....REBECCA PECK(LEAD FISKATEER in the US) IS SENDING ME OVER SOME TO GIVE AWAY on here.....how cool is that!

So I'll be announcing a RAK on here once the product arrives....should be coming FED-EX tomorrow Rebecca tells me.......so stay tuned......are you a Fiskateer? Make sure you join up in the next week....it's fun...it's free.....and it's Fiskars!

Don't you just love "Bistro Brew"?

What about "Cardinal's Song"

I love this other Christmas ONE......"JINGLE BULB"...

OK......BACK SOON........

XOXO

Lyn Dwyer (from sunny Brisbane)

Hello from Brisbane Craft and Quilt Fair

 Hi everyone,

Well we are here in Brisbane now for the Craft and Quilt Fair and the FISKARS CRAFT STUDIO was a hive of activity this morning.....here are some pics from the Fair......firstly Beth demoing the Fiskars Quilting Tools.....Scissorman is selling many of the Fiskars quilting tools at this Fair....along with many of the Fiskars Scissors.....Punch with Judy also have some Fiskars Quilting/sewing tools.

It's great to see Annette at this Fair...all the way from Cairns.....we have finally met and had a HUG.....this lady is just amazing! Back later with more pics....she was teaching this lovely group of ladies how to craft a lovely card.........

 

Merle and Glenda were loving helping others to craft........having fun creating a fun little Notebook Project using the fabulous FISKARS TOOLS and some Heidi Grace product!

Ngaire was kept busy all morning taking bookings for the Beginners Workshop at 2pm each day.....and selling Kits for the Make'n'take projects...... The Fiskars Craft Team shall be at the Fair all week from 9am -5pm daily.......see you at the Fair!

Several retailers are selling Fiskars Tools at this Show......including Scrapbook City,Catchy Crafts,Scissorman,Punch with Judy.......and others......so good!! So if you are coming to the Show and see something you would like to purchase after doing a Make'n'ake then you can......

Back tomorrow with some pics I took on my walk back to where we are staying.......what a pretty walk we have each day.....love....love....love this glorious Spring Weather up here........LOL!

I'm not working today so have been sight seeing and doing some retail therapy........as you do.....LOL!

xoxo

Lyn Dwyer

What a cutie pie and RAK winner announced

I got the chance to take some more pics of Samuel Lee yesterday at Sally's 30th...... Check out those cute eyes....

Got to have some more Nana cuddles......gotta' love that!

AND finally....my first LAYOUT share of SAMUEL LEE.......this was completed yesterday...he was less than 24 hours old here.....

....would you believe that my grand child Samuel Lee is 4 weeks old today.......the time has gone so quickly and I haven't had the time to scrap any pics of him even though I have taken heaps of pics....but the main thing is I am taking pics when i can and loading them into Samuel's own folder(and a DVD) so that I can scrap them when I feel like it. No need to stess out....I find "scrapbooking" very relaxing and I love to do it when I want to relax....often scrapping when I'm really busy...just to have some relaxation and fun! "Scrap therapy"...is so much cheaper than other therapy........LOL!

So here is the first layout share......I thought it might be nice to use Debbie's October Challenge to inspire me to create! (Click on the layout for an enlarged view)

I thought I'd push myself to do something I haven't done for ages......and that is to make my tools work for me to complete this layout....and not worry so much about using "embellishments".....which is what I always use to do when i first started scrapbooking.

I also printed off a large pic to scrap....I usually scrap 6" x 4" pics....and tend to scrap a lot of Mini Albums now.....not so many 12 x 12 layouts.

I  wanted to  try some " Fiskars embossing" tools (Scrapboss and Texture Plates)and just try and create a soft lovely baby layout for Samuel Lee's first layout!

The journaling is "hidden" something I don't normally do.....I usally love hand writing on my layouts....so for me to "hide " this was pushing myself not to dooodle on the layout.....LOL!

I loved getting my Filigree texture plate and embossing on the back of the background cardstock....by measuring around the border and making a pencil line on the back..that way it acted as a guide for the embossing....make sense? This is where the Fiskars Texture Plates have it over the "Cuttlebug"....whilst I love my Cuttlebug....especially for Cardmaking to emboss with.....I just LOVE using the Fiskars Texture Plates to move around a layout......so easy to do...and you end up with an elegant border.

The "Baby Hands" are from the Fiskars Scrapboss...I knew these would look rather cute on here....and once again I just made up this embellishment using my Fiskars Tools! I used the Fiskars Threading Water Border Punch to complete this little embellishment......just one punch! The theading Water punch was also used under the photo...I just used an off cut in the same colour as the bazzill cardstock and reversed it....to make it stand out a bit from the background piece.....and slipped it under the pic.

Still trying to focus on using my "Tools" I couldn't resist punching out some stars with my Fiskars 1" star squeeze punch through the pic.....yep....I just went for it....LOL!

Fiskars Tools used:

Fiskars Personal Trimmer

Fiskars Scrapboss System

Fiskars Texure Plate (filigree)

Fiskars Texturing Tool and Stylus

Fiskars Craft Mat

Fiskars Squeeze Punch (1" star) and (Something Old.Something new Corner Punch)

Fiskars Border Punch (threading water)

ok....so there you have my first layout share of my gorgeous grandson...Samuel Lee....using Debbie's October Challenge to inspire me to create! So why not challenge yourself and "go outside your box"...push yourself to try something a little different....take a few risks.....and you'll be amazed at what you come up with! 

Send through your projects before October 31st to have the chance to win some fabulous Fiskars products!

Send to fiskarscraft@yahoo.com.au

The winners of my Craft Goodies RAK  on my Blog are

"Doverdi" who had this to say.......

Sounds like you're going to be pretty busy with the invitations & scrapping your adorable grandson. I can't wait to see you LO's of him.

Thanks for the chance to win some goodies. I so need some inspiration. My Mojo got up & left me in May when I started renovating my bedroom & hallway. During the renovations I couldn't get into my studio as it was used for storage. I finally got back into my studio a month ago & just got into reorganizing it when I picked up a virus. Now I've been sick for the past 2 weeks & haven't felt like doing anything. I haven't scrapped or crafted since May & am having a really hard time getting back into it.

Posted by: doverdi | October 14, 2009 at 10:19 PM

                                                AND

Kerri......who had this to say....

I would love the chance to win to stop my almost 9 yr old daughter asking if she can have my stash. thanks for the chance

Posted by: Kerri_fiskateer_1017 | October 14, 2009 at 09:21 PM

Thank you to all of you who left a comment...I have loved reading through them all...CAN THESE TWO LADIES PLEASE EMAIL THROUGH YOUR POSTAL DETAILS TO ME and I'll make sure your goodies from my stash are sent out next week....after I return from Brisbane!

and I'll leave you all with this little snippet.....

Treasure the one’s you love…

The memories you make are the one’s
that you will hold in your heart forever.

xoxox

Lyn

Happy 30th Sally!