Scrap Whispers February Blog Hop

It's the 15th, so it's Blog Hop time again in the Scrap Whispers camp! Nilsa has provided our tutorial this month, and it shows you how to make a super cute banner. To be in with a chance of winning a prize, here's how to play.

Follow the tutorial at Scrap Whispers, then post a link to your own variation on our theme. Then start at Scrap Whispers, and hop through all the DT's blogs and leave some love on each - especially give a nice welcome to Kim and Sherri. ;-)

Let's have a look at my banner, shall we? I used Spellbinders large ovals and deckled edge ovals to make the flags out of Basic Grey Eskimo Kisses paper and letter stickers. I finished the letters off with my favourite Stickles in Diamond, and strung them on ribbon. It's so pretty, isn't it!

 

And a close-up:

Here are all the links for you, in no particular order:
Scrap Whispers
Georgina
Nilsa
Kelly
Rosey (you're here!)
Helen
Kimberly

There are loads more examples on the tutorial, and each of our DT has produced yet more to inspire you. So let's see what you can do?

True Love

Just look at this beautiful new kit by Susan Godfrey! It's called True Love, and it's perfect for everything from those precious scanned vintage photos of our grandparents' young love, to our first boyfriends - perfect for Valentine's Day coming up. Which reminds me, I have to write my card, hehee!

Here's the kit - isn't it pretty?

Here's what I did with it. I'm still learning - I learned so much this time. I think I shall be learning forever! This first LO is about the very beginning of my love affair with sushi. How lucky that I was able to capture the occasion on camera.

And this one is of me and DH on my first visit to Singapore before we moved out there, doing the tourist thing on a Chinese junk on the Singapore river at Boat Quay.

 

The kit is on a special offer at the moment for a limited time HERE, so hurry if you want it!

Scrap Whispers Challenge #88 - Smurftastic!

OK now here's a good one for you! At Scrap Whispers this week, Georgina had us go back to our childhood, and make something inspired by the Smurfs! Now I don't know where I was when this craze took off, but somehow it passed me by. I don't remember anything about the Smurfs except that they're blue and each one had a different personality and my Dad liked them. Oh and I remember the jingley theme tune. DH on the other hand has been enthusiastically helping me research, and going "phwoar Smurfette..." which is mildly worrying!

Now tell me. Do Smurfs count as fantasy or mythical creatures? DH says no because they're real {sigh} but I'm hopeful, because that's the challenge at Charisma Cardz this week. Stampavie want buttons and lace, and Creative Card Crew want a card for a loved one. Well DH had better watch out because this card may be coming his way - or maybe I'll make him another one featuring Smurfette as Nilsa did. I must ask her whether her DH feels the same way.......? Ahahaahaaa

I coloured the image with Copics (then I woke up suddenly in the night worrying about whether Smurfs have blue tongues or not - gaah!), and everything else is scraps and from my stash.

There's the smurfiest prize ever to win, so smurf over to Scrap Whispers and see what you can smurf! Oh, and don't forget to come back on the 15th for our monthly SW Blog Hop. :-)

Valentine cards

I made three cards today, and here are two of them. I'm going to send them to the US and hope they arrive in time for Valentine's Day. I can't show you the other one - yet! ;-)

This is made with Ruby Lemonade papers, with Whiff of Joy's Willow with her basket coloured with Copics and Stickles, framed with Spellbinders Nestabilities deckled edge ovals. The brad and ribbon are from my stash. It is for Sketch Saturday (the sketch), Simon Says Stamp and Whiff of Joy, both of whom have "love is in the air" as their challenge.

And this little lass is for Basic Grey Challenges, Bizzy Becs Store right here in WA, and Stampin' for the Weekend challenges. It's a Hugs and Hearts stamp coloured with Copics and Stickles, Basic Grey Kioshi papers and flowers by Glam Creations.

Valentine's Sale at Susan Godfrey's

No embellishments?

No problem! Charisma Cardz thinks it might be a good challenge for those sparkly, frilly, lacy types, but I'm Mrs. Clean'n'Simple, apart from my Stickles addiction, hehee. A Spoon full of Sugar is asking for red, orange and pink, which are the colours of the Basic Grey Indian Summer collection which I love so much.

So here's a birthday card for my cousin, and if you think it looks like the prize-winning ;-) elephant card I did last week, you're right. You'd almost think my 15-minute, pre-church, panic design got used for this sketch from Truly Scrumptious!

 

 

Pretty suitable for a blokey bloke, isn't it? Especially one who always FORGETS everybody else's birthdays..... although I think that might be a little too subtle for him. ;-)

In other news, we're having a scary day today with 3 bushfires burning out of control around us. Two are 15-ish miles away (north-east and south-east) but one is only 3 or 4 miles south-east of us, and the wind is blowing it fiercely in our direction.

The crazy thing was, we went out for lunch and as we waited at a junction on the way home, we spotted the smoke. I said "let's go and get a closer look at that" so off we drove. A couple of miles down the road we got to some high ground and saw that it was a long way away. At that moment I glanced in the rear view mirror and there was a huge plume of smoke behind us. We turned around and went to check that one out, because it was where we'd just come from, and it definitely hadn't been there when we left. It was coming from the local park and the smoke was billowing into the sky.

The place was swarming with fire trucks and people wanting a closer look, so we went home. We've had the TV on since then, and the two further fires have had some coverage with many homes being evacuated and at least 8 burned down, but nothing from the one closest to us. The wind is blowing it in our direction and the air is full of smoke.

Update 3 hours later: DH has just found a warning on the net for it. The roads closest have been closed, but it's only at "advice" level, not evacuation. We're staying alert.

Update 7am Monday (14 hours later): 40 homes have been destroyed and others still in danger from the two further fires. They're biggies. The small one nearest us (3 miles away) is still not being reported on local news, so we're guessing it poses no threat to lives or homes. Another 2 fires have also been reported, further north and south, fanned by strong winds. The wind is hoped to die down today, which will decrease the risks.

Ooooh!

Lookeeeee! My elephant won US$50 at Simon Says!