Baby baby

This mini-album class kit is now available - click here if you're interested. There are only two kits available, there were three but one has been put aside already. I will also work on making Kiti Q class kits available as instructions only, so that they can be more customised to your own products, and also so that they will still be available even when Kiti Q is out of stock of the products themselves.

I just got this from my friendly courier about 10 minutes ago - am very very happy :) This is the lens I absolutely loved when I borrowed my dad's in Adelaide a month ago. It is 'payment' for some photography and web work I am doing for Outback Pride, and I am also excited about the work - I kind of miss website stuff, as I do enjoy it.

And I will definitely enjoy playing with this baby this weekend when we pop down to SA for a flying visit, where we will be meeting the newest addition to the family. Ben's stepsister Abi and her husband John welcomed a healthy baby boy last week, and named him Ben! Well, little Mr Benjamin Ernest Hayes, we are excited to be meeting (and photographing) you soon :)

Head Room

... or lack thereof. Lots of stuff happening, which is good, keeps me busy - though Ash's 6am wake-up calls are really getting to me.

No scrapping to share, unfortunately. I have some photos I've been editing from a family shoot I did for some friends on Saturday, here are some I've done so far (I bought a few funky actions so I can mix them up with my own custom actions which I usually use).




And a cute one of my kidlets

Hmm, what else. I fixed the car today - the inside front seat door handles (left and right) had been broken for quite awhile. So it was quite satisfying to pop into Toyota while Kell had the kids, since it is a Tuesday, and install them myself later on. I also picked up enough new sand to fill up the sandpit, so all four kids will have fun playing outside tomorrow, and I might even be able to scrap! Yay!

Creating Garden

Check this out

Thanks Em :)

(She's so cool!)

Bam Pop

Vita sent me this challenge to do a layout scraplifting one of two layouts (one by herself and one by Jane of Crafty Matters) and to feature Bam Pop on the layout. Here is my take on Vita's layout:

This one is a fun combo of Bam Pop and Love, Elsie (bits and pieces from all the ranges almost!), with Hambly rub-ons, all from Kiti Q. The other details are some funky tape I got from SIStv and a cute sticker I got when I was in Adelaide. From the same shop I got these gorgeous little keyring thingies with characters from 'My Neighbor Totoro' - which is one of my favourite kid's movies, written by the amazing Hayao Miyazaki.

Here is the cute soundtrack song from the English version. So chirpy and child-friendly! Always makes me smile. I'm sure the Japanese version is better, but this is actually a very good dub, unlike some English versions. Besides, my kids can't read yet ;)

Photo Fun

This mini-album is a limited edition class kit that *should* be available at Kiti Q next week, I think we only have the stock for 3 kits though - so, very limited!

It is really cute and fun, using Cherry Arte Princess chipboard and paper, Autumn Leaves 'French Twist' rub-ons, Making Memories alpha stickers, Bam Pop papers and Love, Elsie embossed cardstock. The kit will also come with the black tiny pom pom trim, and a Q tea bird journaling card. Fun fun!

Shameless plug

Yes, I continue to come and go with my intentions about my photography business, LOL, but I am offering a few photo sessions for the days around the Sydney Papercrafts festival, the first weekend in November.

Some of my portrait and family photography can be found in my flickr here, I have also done some couple sessions and weddings. Wedding photography has a separate set in my flickr. One of these days I'll upgrade and organise my sets better!

At this point it looks like I'll book shoots in for the 2nd and/or 4th November. Full digital shoots (all the edited high-res files on disc, plus session fee) are $300, which is a bit of a special. Just a session is $50.

OK plug over, LOL.

There was something I wanted to stick on here that I keep forgetting. Not sure what. It'll come to me, I'm sure. I'll be back!

Posie

I have these flowers in the garden, the beginning of a pretty sparse garden along the fence of the kid's garden. Sienna picked these. When she picked the snapdragons, it was like "oh that's sweet, thank you" and then a nice little chat about why she shouldn't pick any more. An hour later in came the daisies on their 5cm stems. I was a little less grateful that time - there were no daisies left. This was Tuesday lunchtime. Then I kept meaning to photograph them in the little glass on the dining table, but Ash decided to pull half the flowers off the snapdragons. I photographed them anyway, they are such sweet colours (looked good in the garden too!).

So I did this layout yesterday for Kiti Q, originally intending it to be a class kit. It didn't quite turn out how I thought with the paint turning out more transparent than I had expected. So it's for the gallery. Botanical Bliss papers (Tinkering Ink) go rather well with some of the Love, Elsie 'Jack & Abby' papers!

I've begun a work of 'heart' - isn't that cheesy? LOL, love it. OK seriously though, I've begun an altered book just because I really want to. All gel medium, vintage sheets of music and paint and stuff. My best friend growing up (that I'm not blood-related to, Bec!) and still close friend Rosie grew up on a hobby farm on the edge of Mount Barker, South Australia. Since we spent most of our time together, about 2/3 of that at Rosie's place, her farm was the home of many of our imaginative worlds and make-believe creations. Anyhow, when I heard it had been sold and would be demolished for development, I had to go back to take photos. This book is to record those photos, with notes and memories and paint and stuff.

Funny pic of Ash - the kids were playing with dress-ups, Ash had the construction-builder type hat on, and insisted I help him add the blue wings LOL

How to make pierogi

I went to a cooking party and lunch on Saturday, hosted by my friend Anna who is Polish, so she showed us all how to make pierogi. It was fun, and very yummy, and I took lots of photos! This one is of Anna, I'll add others of the actual cooking to my flickr (link to the right) later.

Earlier that morning the kids, Ben and I had gone to Brunswick St where I needed to pick up some stuff, and had coffee together (and baby cinos). Here is a funky one of Ben.

Not sure why, but last week after their bath the kids were being all cuddly together, which they've not really done before. Here is a cute one of Sienna lining Ash up for a kiss on the head.

The new Candlelit kit from Fireside is out and it is really cool - I admit I'm not a big Dream Street Papers fan, but all the Scenic Route and Heidi Swapp goodness was so fun to play with! Here are the things I made this month - a mini-album about Jude as a gift for Kell (as if she needs me to scrap for her, but whatever!), and two layouts.

I cleaned my scrap desk off yesterday, so I have high hopes for actually scrapping this week. Which is good, as I have a lot I want to do - both fun stuff and 'work' stuff.
















Ooh ooh ooh - check out the new Love, Elsie 'Jack & Abby' - all warm and funky and gorgeous! Did I say this already? Anyhow, I started a mini-album with it - not to be a class kit, just for the Kiti Q gallery, here is the cover. I have done some of the inside now, but have more I want to add before I photograph any pages. I want to do a layout class kit with some of these papers, but might have to buy more as I am using them up already!

If you're a Melbourne girl (or guy, for that matter, if you are a scrapper), Kiti Q is hosting another Scrap 'n' Chat on Saturday the 6th October, from 12-5pm. Always fun to hang out with other scrappers, shop a bit, listen to music, nibble on snacks and hey - maybe even scrap a little. Details here.

Good old...

Rundle St. Ah the memories. LOL. Well, of course it's still there, but we used to hang out along Rundle St every week, checking out B Sharp, Big Star and the bookshops, watching movies at the Nova, trying different cafes. Peeking around the corner to the Urban Cow Studio.

The Urban Cow Studio - I love this place, it's like an etsy store in a funky old building, all by Adelaide artists. I used to aspire to having stuff there, but of course I moved out of Adelaide, so what can you do. Viv have you been here? It's on Frome Street, just up a bit from Eckersley's. Very cool.

Guess what I just got from Kiti Q.... Jack + Abby! Ok, I haven't got every single thing, but not far off, it looked so cute and warm I just wanted to have it all to choose from.

How about adding this to your bloglines - Candlelit Kits. Candlelit kits are created by Pauline of Fireside Crafts, and you may have noticed I'm on their DT. The blog will feature the regular sorts of updates and also whatever bits and pieces the DT cook up for you, you'll just have to wait and see! I just got the newest kit yesterday and it is full of scrummy Scenic Route goodness, a splash of paint, a few florals and funky massive brads in bright orange - yay! Here is a sneaky peek.


Check out my gorgeous nephew Caden, and a cute one of him and his mum, my little sister Hayley.

So, Ben has said I can go to Sydney for the Papercrafts festival! Yay! I am really looking forward to doing workshops by the fabulous Celine. We are still deciding, though, whether it is all of us, just Ben and I, or just myself.

I am wondering, there were a few people after last year's festival who mentioned they'd like a children's or family photo session with me. Trying to be actually organised this time, I am officially putting it out there - if anyone would like a session in the days around the papercrafts festival (I will only spend one day at the festival itself, probably), just let me know, ask for a price list or whatever! Sessions themselves are $50. There are a few photos in my flickr, I'll try and update it later today.

It's funny, I love photography as much as EVER, but am stopping it being an official business because I just can't be bothered advertising or competing, that stuff stresses me. So it will be a little hobby business for me, which I am far more relaxed about. Maybe one of these days I'll organise myself into a business that encompasses everything I do - photography, scrapbooking, graphic design, whatever else people ask me to do, LOL. Requires more ambition than I possess, I think. ;) OK rambling over. Have a good day!

I'm home

... and feeling lazy (well, tired). Have edited some of the week's photos and they are on my flickr. Here is a fave.