Just Add Ink #559...Just Choose Two...photo heavy

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Happy Friday crafty friends ~ 

We have a new challenge over at Just Add Ink starting today. It's a 'choose two' from, Di. I love choices, don't you? I went with stitching & stripes - the stitching is in my square, if you look closely you can just see them. I used the retired Stitched Shapes from Stampin' Up!

You all know how much I love the (soon to retire so I stocked up) True Love designer papers. This is the first time I have used them uncoloured. I really do like! I've fussy cut two layers here so there is some dimension since it's otherwise a fairly plain card. And to finish....a little pop of pink using the In Colour jewels.

If you love a fun challenge join us by popping over to JAI for inspiration & challenge details. Here is the banner for you.

We had a lovely week away at Airlie Beach & Daydream Island with our friends. We caught Jimmy Barnes for a few live shows too... HUGE FAN! Visited Hamilton Island & Whitehaven beach. We got a lot done in a week. 

The view from our stay at Airlie Beach

The view from our room on Daydream Island

 Toni (right) & I settled in our VIP seats for the first twilight show

Brian & I second twilight show

The man himself, Jimmy Barnes & family

Patrice x

Just Add Ink #557...Just Add Inspiration

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Hi there ~

Welcome to a new Just Add Ink challenge week. Rachael has chosen the inspiration image for us.

I recently received a stunning floral, very pink & pretty belated birthday card from a dear friend that I haven't managed to catch up with in person for sooooo long. My card today is inspired by hers, particularly the layout, while also using the brickwork, leaves & some of the colours in the image we're playing with, of course. 

I heat embossed the flower from the Elegantly Said stamps & fussy cut to my heart's content. I love these tones of grey, white & the new In Colour soft succulent. The In Colour jewels are a perfect finishing touch.

If you'd like to get crafty with us then pop over to JAI & check out what the design team have created. Here is the inspiration image...we'd love you to join the challenge fun.

Our landscaping job is still ongoing, we're into the third month....the pavers are down, the steps have been demolished & rebuilt & all the new furniture has been ordered. I am yet to find the perfect water feature...stay tuned. I can't wait to share the before & after pics. GK has decided he'd like to come home & host his 21st party here now! lol

Hubby & I are off to the tropics next week for a little holiday. I'm looking forward to thawing out & meeting up with our beautiful friends T & C - certainly don't get to see them often enough these days.

Have a fabulous weekend & thanks for stopping by.

Patrice x

Just Add Ink #555 - Just Add a Colour Combo

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Woohoo, it's Friday ~

Welcome to the latest Just Add Ink colour combo challenge, suggested by Rachael.

I finally cracked open my Prettiest Birthday stamps....love this image. Coloured with Magenta Madness they almost look like lollies good enough to eat. I'm looking forward to colouring it in several shades but for this challenge I think all the pink just pops!

There is plenty of shimmery sparkle on this card too...which I never seem to be able to capture, sigh.

Come join the challenge using these gorgeous colours, pop over to JAI for some inspiration & all the details. Here is the banner for you.

I spent all of yesterday at the hospital with my big boy - previously known as Gorgeous Kid (he's a man now so it kind of doesn't fit). He had all four wisdom teeth removed under a GA. Defence has approved him a week of leave to be at home for his recovery. It's nice being able to look after him...even if he does look like Dracula lol.

And our landscaping continues....it seems never ending. Can't wait until I can step outside & not end up dusty & dirty. There are no pavers or grass or greenery of any kind out there at the moment. Sooooo looking forward to seeing the finished product! 

Enjoy your weekend!

Patrice x

Just Add Ink #553...Just Add a Sketch

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Hello & happy Friday ~ 

It's the start of a brand new challenge week over at Just Add Ink. Kelly has designed the sketch for us to use. 

I've gone completely out of my comfort zone & cracked into the Sweet Ice Cream suite here, using some of the new In Colours. I think I love them all. Miss 9 always has parties to attend so this card will be used in no time, I'm sure.

Up close it's all sparkly with Shimmer Paint.

If you'd like to join the challenge fun head over to JAI to check out the details & get some inspiration. Here is the banner for you.

No interesting news from me this fortnight....our huge landscaping job (have I even mentioned that yet?) is still in progress & my entire back yard is a bomb site - not helped by three days of rain this week. It's nearing the end they tell me so hopefully I can get to the fun part of planting soon. We're also incorporating a fire pit & a large urn with flowing water. Hubby has been taking time lapse video for the 6-7 weeks that the workers have been here so once that's all put together I can share a start to finish.

It's Mother's Day here in Australia on Sunday. I found a little notation in our family calendar that we're going out for brunch. I've no idea where but I'm excited to know Gorgeous Kid will be hanging with us. I don't see him nearly often enough now that he's all grown up & away from home.

Hope all is well in your world. Thanks for stopping by & have a wonderful weekend! Happy Mother's Day to those of you celebrating. 

Patrice x

Just Add Ink #551...Just Add 3D - photo heavy

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Hellooooo ~

Over at Just Add Ink today our new challenge kicks off - Just Add 3D. Rachael suggested this one & I had some fun creating these little Easter treat boxes (using the Love You Always boxes from the current mini catalogue) for our beautiful teachers.

You'll probably have worked out that this, & the previous couple of challenge pics, were all taken on the same day, which was rainy, dull & overcast - the perfect combination for lousy pics. I was working to get ahead prior to going on holidays. If only I was a bit more tech savvy I'd know how to clean them up & make them look as gorgeous as many other bloggers do....

I've wrapped the boxes in the pretty designer paper from the Ice Cream corner suite. These cute little bunnies are an MFT set of stamps that I reach for annually :)

The design team has created a variety of gorgeous projects for this challenge. Pop over to JAI to check them all out, then join the challenge fun with us!

We had an amazing two weeks in Queensland. The weather was stunningly perfect! We visited Fraser Island & all it offers - spent time at some gorgeous water spots, saw lots of the local wildlife & we finished our holiday with two nights in Brisbane where I got to spend precious time with my beautiful godson's. We had a day at Seaworld on the Gold Coast where my little guy absolutely fell in love with the dolphins (& has now proclaimed he is going to become a marine biologist) & little miss totally adored the seals. She even conquered her fears & rode a rollercoaster! It's good to be home but by gosh I've done a lot of washing & ironing since our return!

Here are just a handful of pics. Hubby made some amazing timelapse videos using his GoPro but if I add even one or two here this post will get ridiculously longer than it is already. Hope you enjoy a snippet into our holiday.

Ice cream at Noosa - the twins & I.

#Beach life.

Hubby got up verrrry early to catch the sun rise.

Stunning Lake Mckenzie - a long arduous drive on the island but absolutely worth it!

Champagne pools!

The Moheno shipwreck.

One of the locals - a dingo wandering about on the beach.

There was a family of goannas at our camp - I think this was one of the smaller visitors.

Patrice x

Just Add Ink #549...Just Choose Two

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Hello from beautiful Fraser Island ~

Kelly has given us a Choose Two challenge over at Just Add Ink today. Of course I went for the petals & leaves...that's a no brainer for me.

I used Magenta Madness for the first time on this card, along with the Forever Fern stamps. A few gold accents lifted the all white background. My mat layer has been run through the Subtle embossing folder.

Once again this pic was taken on a dull overcast rainy old day.

We love you joining our challenges so pop over to JAI to check out the design team inspiration & details. Here is the banner for you.

We've just had a wonderful family Easter weekend down at the coast. The weather was superb....almost like the summer we never really got. There was lots of beach time. Lots of socialising & relaxation....& of course lots of chocolate!

Here are some pics from one of my early morning walks.

Thanks for stopping by today.

Patrice x

Just Add Ink #547...Inspiration

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Happy Friday ~

It's new challenge time at Just Add Ink. Kim has given us an adorable Easter wreath inspiration image to work with this week. I adore pink so naturally that was the direction I took....& of course a little wreath. I went with the Easter theme by adding a sweet little copic coloured bun.

I made this card into a gift card/cash holder by adding a little pocket using designer paper inside. Apologies for dull pics. We've had crazy rain lately & not a lot of natural light. You can't even see the sparkle all over this :(

If you'd like to join us pop over to JAI & get all the details. Here is the banner for you.

We've got a big landscaping job going on at home. Thanks to the recent rain our dates have been pushed out but finally they got started yesterday! I'm going to miss some of the greenery we have currently but I do look forward to our new design....just wish it didn't take so many years for things to grow big again. I'm most looking forward to the new smart wifi watering system - it knows when it's raining & doesn't double water & I can control it from anywhere. Being a bit tech challenged I may or may not be in charge of it. Lol!

Have a wonderful Easter, however you celebrate it. My next project will come to you from Fraser Island. We're spending the school holidays up there enjoying the warmer weather & beaches.

Patrice x

Just Add Ink #545....Just Add a Colour Combo

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Helloooo ~

Shades of green....that's what Lou has us doing for this week's brand new Just Add Ink colour challenge. There are so many gorgeous greens in the Stampin' Up! colour families....where to start....I chose the beautiful Soft Sea Foam with a touch of Pear Pizzazz ribbon today.

I love the subtle Tasteful Textile embossing folder, which I've layered on Gold Foil here. And for the third challenge running I've used the gorgeous florals from the True Love designer paper. I fussy cut two layers & popped just the flowers up on dimensionals, using Wink of Stella all over the flowers for some shimmery sheen. Honestly this card looks a whole ton better in real life!

If you have a favourite (or more) shade of green, then pop over to JAI & join in the challenge fun with us.

Not a lot of news this week. We had coast fun last weekend, which included a public holiday - always a bonus! We are making so many lovely new friends down there. The kids love the freedom of riding their bikes everywhere & having several visits a day to the beach. I'm enjoying the food options way too much....I'm finding all the local tucked away cafes. Good but not so good if you know what I mean :) This weekend I need to stay in Canberra & tend the garden. 

Patrice x

Just Add Ink #543....Just Add a Sketch

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 It's Friday ~

Kelly has given us a fun sketch challenge to work with this week over at Just Add Ink. I'm totally loving on the True Love designer papers. So much so, that I need to order a second packet already!

Here I've coloured the florals softly with my copic markers & popped up on dimensionals, adding a little copper thread underneath for interest. And once again, Label Me Bold stamp set to the rescue. I love these small sentiments as they just fit in anywhere.

Why don't you join the challenge fun with us? Pop over to JAI for some gorgeous inspiration, & get busy with your own version of this awesome sketch.

The twins had a birthday this week! They're getting old enough now that they like to celebrate separately. So little Miss had a sleepover pizza party with the girls last weekend & they spent most of it in the pool thanks to lovely weather! This weekend Master is taking a friend to the coast, while his sister stays in Canberra. He'll have his own pizza party & beach fun. Let's hope I can transport his cake in one piece!

Here is her cake. My girlfriend makes amazing cakes, & a really good size so you're not eating it for days on end. We all love her oreo balls - which she has decorated in Miss' favourite colour purple. If you're local & want one of these for yourself leave me a comment & I'll happily pass on contact details.

Thanks for popping by today. Have a fabulous weekend!

Patrice x