The Big Reveal

is ON over at Scrap Whispers, and guess who won? OK I'll put you out of your misery (as if you had time to get impatient!) because for the second time running, Team 1 is the winner! That, by the way, is MY TEAM of talented, enthusiastic, communicative and artistic ladies. I can't begin to say how lucky I've been with my teams. So congratulations Team 1!

Now go on over to the blog and have a look at Georgina's video montage of the beautiful art-work from all the teams, because I tell you, we have some real artists out there.

Some more news while you're there - we're having a DT call too! So if you fancy bringing your own particular style to our little design team, just let Georgina know. It's all on the Scrap Whispers blog.

And finally, this week's challenge is just for fun, but it IS a fun one. ROBOTS! Use robots as embellishments for your card or LO. For a bit of inspiration to get you going, here's mine:

Isn't that the cutest little t-shirt on my cutest (well, only) little nephew? The little pickle didn't want to pose for my photos, so I had to use reverse psychology on him ("don't wave your arms about, just cross them over your front") hehee.

The paper is from Basic Grey, the card-stock is DCWV and yup, that's his favourite Wall-E printed off the net and coloured with Copics. That's the same Wall-E that DH gave him, and that I get clobbered with every time I go to visit our baby angel there. It's a boy's way of showing how much he appreciates it, and us. I think. Yup, that'll be it.

In the rest of my life, I have at last joined the ranks of the Mac users. Yes, my creaking Windows laptop has been relegated to "church work only" (Apple doesn't make a Publisher equivalent that's compatible with the church computers) and I've been enjoying the AMAZING speed, display and functions of Apple. So there has been an awful lot of backing-up and copying, converting, learning, and the odd blue-air moment when things didn't go entirely to plan. I'm still working on getting it to my liking.

Our priest has returned from his holidays in Europe. He now understands what I meant by a Christmas Fayre/Market, and really wants to hold one here next Christmas, instead of just humouring me. He wants iced mulled wine, and a water slide for the kids, and a sausage sizzle for the grown-ups. Well we have to make some concessions to the problem of desert heat and sunshine till 8pm, instead of the west's snow and needing the twinkling lights to cheer up the winter darkness. I get it. Let's do it. Just let me catch my breath from this Christmas first though, OK? :-)

He also appreciated the work that DH and I have put into the church while he's been away, and we got a public round of applause in church yesterday. Gah. That wasn't why we did it. All our British reserve jumped to the fore and we didn't know where to look. Overwhelming, but kind of nice, you know?

Today I had to report to our agent that the air-con in the bedroom is a bit hit-and-miss about whether it comes on or not. She promised to get someone out ASAP, because February is just around the corner, and that's the really HOT month, didn't you know? Uh-huh? Hotter than this? Oh yeeeeh, she says ghoulishly, 42*c for days on end. Oh that's OK, I said, we've already had 42*c for a few days running according to the thermometer in our back garden, and we coped with that. Ohhhhh, she replied, and I swear I detected a note of disappointment in her voice. Some Aussies love a bit of gentle Brit-baiting, and I can't blame her for trying. I do it myself with our visitors ;-) But she was forgetting that these Brits just spent 5 years in Singapore though so FAIL on the heat jokes!

Note to the family - I AM working on your calendars for 2011, I promise, and I will get them to you when I can. I've just got to learn how to do it on a Mac. :-)

Tune in next week on the 15th for the Scrap Whispers BLOG HOP. We've got a ridiculously easy, yet super-impressive challenge to keep your mojo up, so come back and check in then. See you!