Layout - my favourite vacation

Hi everyone!

It's been a few weeks since I've posted anything on my blog! Lots has happened! Some I can reveal, and some I need to wait a bit before I can spill the beans :)  (hint: notice anything different on my blog? maybe over <--------------??)

It's been a bad few days weather-wise here, lots of rain and local flooding, particularly in the next town over where The Man works.  It knocked out our internet services on Sunday, and we only really got them back last night.  Some roads are still closed, and weather reports predict that the rain will return at the end of the week.  So it's going to be a wet February! I'm also trying to clean out my scrap room, and boy it is a BIG job (where on earth did all this stuff come from, and why can't I find anything??? LOL)

The Boy's birthday was on Sunday, and I have to share some piccies of his cake - I'm a bit proud of myself, particularly as I HATE cooking and baking and anything to do with it!  I'm not good at it, I don't enjoy it, but I make a special effort every year for The Boy's birthday to make a special cake.  I'll share that in another post soon.

Today I have a layout to share with you.  This is another one for The Boy's Hearing Scrapbook, as it was one of the adventures we had while we were in Sydney for his Cochlear Implant surgery.  This particular day we spent at a Railway Museum in Thirlmere, and took a ride on one of the trains.  The train was double ended - the drivers switched to the back controls to travel back to the station rather than turn around.  It was a bit of a rough ride, and left me feeling a tad nauseated but the boys had a ball!  It was a special day, and included meeting a man who also had a CI who was very friendly and showed The Boy his "cool gear" and shook his hand.  So uplifting at a time when we needed the reassurance most!

The journalling card and one of the tickets is included in the layout in a library pocket style holder. 

Scrapbook recipe:
Paper/cardstock: Oh Boy! (Kaisercraft), offcuts of Bazzill
Chipboard: heart, honeycomb
Stamp set: Off the grid (SU!)
Ink: Real Red, Soft Suede (SU!)
Other: Big Shot, spots embossing folder, wood veneer (Studio Calico), canvas phrase, library pocket (Paper Fields, free in magazine), bottle cap, white pen, eyelets, brads, thickers

Challenges
Scrap Our Stash: #23 WASHI (W = wood veneer, A = alphas, S = spots, H = honeycomb/hexagons, I = ink)
Another Freaking Scrappy Challenge:  ATG
Stuck?!: February 1 sketch

I hope you are enjoying yourself, and finding time to create! 

Card - sweet baby

Happy Sunday!

If you are an Aussie, Happy Australia Day for tomorrow!! I hope you have something true blue Aussie planned.  The Scouts are raising the flag at our local ceremony tomorrow, so we are most likely off to that and then afternoon tea :) We also need to fit in some baking for school lunch boxes since school goes back on Tuesday!

Today I have a sweet card to share with you:

 

Simple, but the colours are most striking!  

Card recipe: 

Stamps: Itty Bitty Banners (SU!), Gorgeous Grunge (SU! - I don't think I'm able to make a project without it!), Fairy from Mo's Digital Pencil (but I have it in clear stamp from Penny Black :D)

Colouring: copics

Other: doily (SU!)

Challenges:

Southern Girls Challenge: card + first/new

Sister Act: #90 ATG

Deconstructed Sketch: #185 (although not a true case, it was inspired by the sketch!)

Mo's Challenge: #246 ATG

Whimsy Inspirations: New beginnings

Fan-Tastic Tuesday: #69 ATG + baby + square/rectangle

Kit and Clowder: January ATG

Thanks for calling by my blog today.  I would love to come and visit you as well - leave me a comment and I'll swing by and say hello!!       

  

Layout - poor bubba

Hi lovelies!

I hope you have had an awesome weekend. We have spent a quiet weekend doing family things, finally with afternoon storms to cool things down! I locked myself away this morning to do a layout, so that I could do some baking this afternoon with The Boy (we made chocolate whoopies :)). 

Yesterday (not today like I thought and posted on Facebook!) was the second anniversary of The Boy's cochlear implant surgery. How time flies! I was determined to do a layout for his hearing album this weekend to celebrate, and picked this photo of The Boy just after he woke up in recovery. 

Layout recipe:

Cardstock/paper: yellow and navy card stock (unknown), Summer Paradise (Simple Stories)

Stamps: Gorgeous Grunge (SU!)

Inks: Wild Wasabi and Midnight Muse (SU!), red smooch spritz 

Dies: Pep Squad letters (Sizzix)

Other: buttons (SU!), letter stickers (Summer Stories), silver clip, washi tape (SU!), Polaroid frame (Studio Calico), blue gel pen

Challenge:

Stuck?! Sketches - 15 January

Thanks for visiting me today!

Love,

OMM xox

Layout - Mischevious superstar

Hello lovelies!

I trust you all had a very creative weekend.  Are you and/or your partner back at work yet? I've been back for a week, but hubby has started back today.  So The Boy is at Grandma's, and life is back to normal after the festive chaos.

Today I have a layout to share that I created last night, with finishing touches this morning.  Very bright and happy - just like The Boy!  

The journalling is hard to read, but it notes that this photo was taken while we were SUPPOSED to be looking at bits to make a last minute Toothless costume (from How To Train Your Dragon) but having a bit of a giggle in the party section of our local $2 shop instead!  Instagram followers might recall the outcome of the costume hunt:

Amazing what shoulder pads, nylon stockings, some felt and a kite can do in an evening! #dressupday #school #lovehim #hebetterbehavefortherestofhislife

A photo posted by Lauren Colless (@laurencolless84) on Jun 23, 2014 at 4:36pm PDT

He still calls those shoes his 'Toothless' shoes... he's Toothless mad! Did you see what I made for him for Christmas?

He's finished and packed away for Christmas! Mr 8 will be thrilled! Pattern from Nooby-banana on deviantart. #sewing #christmas #gift #toothless #dragon

A photo posted by Lauren Colless (@laurencolless84) on Sep 29, 2014 at 7:52pm PDT

Anyway...

Back to the layout!!!

I really wish I'd bought him those glasses!!!! Here are all the details:



Layout recipe
Paper - Oh Boy! (Kaisercraft), offcuts of orange
Stamp set - Gorgeous Grunge (SU!), date (Becky Higgins)
Ink - Wild Wasabi (SU!)
Other - blue acrylic paint, circle dies (SU!), orange zig zag washi tape (SU!), black and white dot brads (Kaszazz), round arrow chipboard (Bazzill Chips), wood veneer shape (Studio Calico), buttons (SU!), title sticker (unknown), tag (SU!), organza ribbon (Kaszazz), heart clip (unknown), black rhinestones, various eyelets, buttons and brads (SU!)

Challenges 
Scrap Your Stash - TWINE (T - tag, W - wood veneer shape, I - ink, N - numbers, E - eyelets)
Stuck!? Sketches - January 1

Thanks for visiting me today!!!

Love,
OMM xox

Card - thanks (featuring Whimsy Stamps)

Hello lovelies!

Well, it looks like the summer rain has finally started, bringing an end to the hot and dry conditions we have had in our area for so long.  Not everywhere has been as fortunate as us in receiving some rain though, and if that's you I hope you get some very soon!

Today I have a card to share with you, I think it would almost fall into the CAS category, what do you think? 

 

I love this image - it's Amy from Whimsy Stamps! I really love how it came up during colouring too! Can you believe I bought this stamp for my birthday last year, and I don't think I had even stamped her out yet! I KNOW I KNOW I'M APPALLED TOO!!!!

So I'm counting her as my 'something new' *grin*

I kept the card super simple, because really, such beautiful images don't really need a lot do they?  

Challenges

Cute Card Thursday - #355 what's new?

Simon Says Stamp - something new

Hope you are feeling creative! I'd love to see what you're making... leave me a comment below or feel free to share some creative love over on Facebook!

Love,

OMM xox

Stamping - a fairy pretty hanger

Hi there!

Happy New Year! Did you have a good Christmas? I had our entire family visit us for Christmas Day, followed by a gloriously lazy week of  movies, Uno, Monopoly, reading and of course crafting!  I have some things to share over the next few days/weeks but I won't overwhelm you all at once *grin*

2014 was a tough year.  I won't lie.  Those of you following me over on Facebook will know that I am the office manager/PA for a self-employed professional lady who lost her husband in November after a long battle with cancer.  Since we work from her home, the last few months were a tizzy of stress, strain and emotion as the family came to terms with their impending, and then actual, loss while I did my best to keep things going on the work front.  I feel really refreshed and ready to embrace 2015 now that we have passed 'that' point, and had some leave to relax at home - so look out crafting world! I may not have been blogging, but I WAS pinning, and I have a huge list of things to try/make this year!

The first thing I thought I would try was stamping and colouring onto fabric transfer paper, and then using the image on canvas.  I bought these fab canvas banners over a year ago, and the transfer paper mid-2014 - just before the wheels fell off this little red wagon.  I found the transfer paper over the weekend during a craft room cleanup and thought YES! What a great way to start Craftacular 2015!

I am REALLY happy with how it came up!  I used Fairy Sunny Day from Tiddly Inks which is one of my absolute favourite stamps.  You might recall this fun card I made using the same stamp, but in purple!

Tiddly Inks is one of my favourite brands, and I'm pleased to share the news that they are having a DT call! 

 

You never know your luck, you might be just what they are looking for!  I'd love to see your entries, if you end up entering please let me know in the comments so I can come over and see your lovely work! Of course, I'll also be checking out the entries on the Tiddly Inks DT call post as well :)

I'm thinking I need to make a LOT more of these fun banners, but this one has pride of place hanging from the knob of a cupboard in my craft room for inspiration :D

(eep and now on my desktop the pictures look slightly yellow!  If the sun will just peek out of the clouds I will take a better one for you to enjoy :))

Banner recipe:
Banner - Stampin' Up!
Stamps - Fairy Sunny Day (Tiddly Inks)
Inks - Memento
Colouring medium - Copics
Dies - Foliage leaves (Spellbinders), Rosettes (Whimsy Stamps)
Other - fabric transfer paper and iron, doily (SU!), offcuts of blue, yellow, white, vellum, green and pearl cardstock, ric rac, ribbon, safety pins, pearls, Smooch Spritz - Electric Blue, dots stencil (SU!), key, birdhouse


Have you made time to craft this week? I'd love to see it!  Leave me a note about your blog or gallery so I can pop over and have a look, and if you don't have an online space, please feel free to share your work on the OMM Facebook page!!

Much love,
OMM xox

Recipe - Santa ice cream

Hi everyone! 

Long time no see.  Life has been absolutely insane these last few months, and I have been so busy just keeping afloat! I have been crafting - never fear - but I will save that post for after Christmas.  I do share a lot on the One Messy Mamma Facebook page too, so if you'd like to see more of what I get up to, check it out.

 

Today I'd like to share with you a Christmas tradition in our home - Santa ice cream.  We only make one batch, and only at Christmas, and Santa gets the first bowl on Christmas Eve.  Last year it was so hot that we left the ice cream in the freezer and put a note on the table with Santa's drink telling him to look in the freezer LOL!

 

So what is Santa ice cream? Why it's the bestest ice cream ever! Read on...

 

So basically you can use whatever you please in Santa ice cream.  Our favourites are maltesers, marshmallows and jelly lollies, but in other years we have used frozen raspberries and honeycomb. This year we used:

 

 

First chop up all the lollies.  I cut marshmallows and maltesers in half, jelly lollies into thirds (or more if bigger):

 

Then melt the ice cream slightly.  If you are using a brand new tub like I do, you'll need to take some out to make room for the filling.  The Boy and The Man are only too happy to help with that:

 

Next, mix the ice cream and lollies together in a big bowl.  If the ice cream is not soft enough, you'll get a bit of an arm workout.  If it's too soft, it will be like making a milkshake - in the middle is good.  You can see that my ice cream was melting faster than I could work!  Stupid hot tropical weather!

 

Next pour it all back into the tub.  You'll notice that even if you only took out 3-4 scoopfuls like I did that there isn't as much ice cream as you thought.  Normal! 

 

 

Then put it in the freezer.  I buried mine under some frozen meat to try and cool it quicker. 

And there it will stay until tomorrow night when we scoop some out for Santa to have with his Dr Pepper (yep, another tradition....not my thing, but Santa LOVES Dr Pepper, and funnily enough so does The Man ;)).

This is such a fun tradition in our home, and I hope that you enjoy making it as much as The Boy and I do, or eating it as much as we all do.  If you do make some, let me know what fillings you used!  Fruit and nuts? Mars bars? The possibilities are endless, and I'd love to hear what you come up with!

Merry Christmas to you from One Messy Household, and may your celebrations and the coming year be full of laughter.

Love,
OMM xox