COVER GIRL!!!!

Grab your copy of Scrapbooking Memories... Volume 13 Number 4 because you will want to kiss the cover....

http://craftlovers.com/magazines/92-scrapbooking-memories/12613-scrapbooking-memories
Does anybody recognise this beautiful little girl {with the AMAZING genes....}
well its my llittle girl looking all sweet, cute and like butter wouldn't melt in her mouth before the attitude started!!!
 I have been so good keeping this under my hat for almost a month and am so very excited.
 I haven't received my own copy yet but cant wait to show the princess.... Mumma is so proud.... living my dreams of becoming a cover girl through my daughter.... well at least she got to be a  cover girl.... I should have thought of it earlier before the hormones kicked in and everything went east, west and south.

Signed copies will be available at an extra cost.... { hey.... it's worth a try!!!}

will post more photos when I finally receive my own copy.... :(

Better late than Never!!!!

I know I know......... its very late..... and I have apologised to Marcia and Sammi a million times and they have kindly just slipped me into the list of layouts on the Lollipop Ladies.
 Again the other girls have outdone themselves, (you have to go and have a peek)this week is Smarties.... with hearts... easy for me as I HEART Smarties very muchly... by the fistful of course... I even eat the purple ones!!
  I also want to thank Sammi and Marcia for the great fun I have had over the last 6 months as a candy striper, I have truly enjoyed all the delicious offerings, made great friends and worked on my "scrappers spread" ...all for research and creative inspiration of course :P


So here is my last layout for the lollipop gals. A sweet photo of my youngest two.
 They have the best relationship and play together endlessly {until a fight breaks out and he forgets he taught her how to fight.....} but... all fuzzy lenses and magazine fluffy stuff removed... they are best mates nearly always and  look out for each other. She is home on Wednesdays at the moment (did I mention she started school this year???) and asks all day if its time to pick up her brothers from school and as soon as he walks in the door they are playing. Very cute.
  I also love this photo as this is when they were super cute... such a great age. And as Jas has said in one of her posts, I wish I could go back to this age too when they were little. Its photos like this that make us want to give them an extra cuddle each day.

Lots of hearts are hiding in this LO too... and lots of yummy Sweet Vintage goodies too.
Just remember the little girl in the red dress.............................. {??????}

BIG NEWS COMING NEXT MONTH!!!! I AM SO EXCITED

until then.........

Mad Mel xxoo

Show us your stuff

The gorgeous and very talented Kerry over at Show us Your Stuff has asked me to be the Guest Designer for the month of Feb. I was so honoured.
The theme was love ( of course) and we had to make our own hearts. So I have "quilted" my own heart with Moda fabric and stiched it onto my LO.
This is what I came up with - I am REALLY sorry about the photo quality but as you have probably heard me whining - I am on very limited resources - but you get the idea.....
The title of the LO is "I love you Daddy, as far as my arms can reach....but my arms are only little". 
 The story is each night Anthony would ask her how much she loved him and if she held up her fingers and showed a little bit - she would get tickled until she screamed for mercy - then he would ask again and she would stretch her arms and show him alot. Then she would be safe from tickles. But one night she yelled after he had left the room and had been spared of a tickle - that her arms were only little!!! Cheeky thing {no idea where that comes from?????}

and one of my homemade cupcakes.... yummo

One of my home made swallows.... love them....

close up of my heart and one of my homemade bottle caps..and OF twine

and lastly - could you all g over and read this post on blog safety... thanks

thanks for popping bye - your last comments made me laugh!!!

hidelly ho neighbourinos!!!

Oh man have I missed you all!!

I have been trying to keep up with you all but Hubby's work computer has a security setting that wont allow me to log into most blogs :( so I am catching up with the few sentences I can read from my dashboard.

I am having SERIOUS stalking withdrawals, and to make it worse, I dont have the laptop most of the time :( and I have lost my camera so the LO's I have completed for Lollipop Ladies ( and others....) have been taken on a "box Brownie" camera and I dont have my beloved "photoshop" and then I fell over and hurt my knee, and then.......*deep breath*****

Anyhooo

Have I shown you this LO for Lollipop Ladies Licorice allsorts??

It's a photo of my Mr Big diving off a HUGE diving board while we were on holidays in Gundagai. He was so brave ( I hate heights) and there were a terrible bunch of teenagers picking on him the whole time and calling him names and pushing in until he plucked up the courage to jump {and Mummy had a few choice words to the bullies....} he was so proud of himself for doing it and I was proud of him too. He jumped in twice ( just to show the bullies he could!!) and then mummy said - ok no more {I was slightly freaking out!!!}

So I have used some of my cute little ladybird pins down the bottom there, and some yellow flowers I made too and some gorgeous mandarin bakers twine from the gorgeous Sam at Old Favourites

Have I shown you this???
Then there is this one of the three monsters.

This one is for the Lollipop Ladies too - this one is mint fudge {mmmmm.... I could go for some choc chip mint fudge now.....}

Whenever the three of them play together - there is always a "story" they all make up as to where and who they are and a scenario is acted out {in this case they are explorers in the jungle and a wild lion is stalking them as prey...} ...dont ask... this could go on for days too BTW... and at any time you leave the house, the lion could be there sniffing the air for its prey... and you will find me quite literally hiding behind telegraph poles and dodging trees and dogs on my way to Coles for the day...and I wonder why people call me Mad Mel....Hmmmmm

sorry... the box brownie camera doesn't do too well....

but I HAVE to include at least some close ups

and a sneeky peeky at the next one.....

Oh yeah!!!!

My baby started school today - so weird not having to answer questions, make lunches or wipe bums, secretly I loved it and cant wait for Monday...I was sad to see her go because she is my baby but she was SUPER excited to be a school girl and had such a busy and fun day. She looked so cute too, will have to get some photos posted.

And congrats to Jas for finally being published in SBM... just remember who pushed you into it all at the beginning girlfriend.... and well done Hayley T too - you go girls, rocking the scrapping world...

and.......I have some VERY EXCITING news to share with you all next month so stay tuned ....and no Sue....nah nah nah nah to you, you dont know what it is and I didnt buy Brown Brothers Winery...yet.....

anyway...

I hope all you girls are safe and didn't get washed or blown away.

I have contacted most of you that I stalk regularly and was very happy to hear you were all safe, except for property damage which is devastating.

Just want you to know I am thinking of you and sending you my love, but am having "blog security issues" and so cant keep up :(

Stay safe my lovelies

Mad Mel

Bye bye bloggians.....

Hi Girls
I am officially off line as of now....

Flis... I am wishing you all the very best for the birth of your bubba and will be thinking of you.

Jas will let me know of any important "stuff" and email me if you like or contact Jas and she can forward on my email to those who cant live without me!!!
Take care

Ill be back as soon as humanly possible

Mad Mel

hey jube

Yeah yeah, so I stole Marcia and Sammi's heading... I thought it was cute!!

The girls over at Lollipop Ladies are keeping me away from my New Years Resolution of losing a couple of kg's by again tempting me with one of my fave lollies... a sugared jube... the soft ones though... and you can have the green ones... I don't care for green lollies at all.

So here is my entry for this month.

My DD has the most amazing hair, but she has a habit since she was young of matting her curls by twisting them.... one thumb in her mouth (yes at age 5 still....!!!) and the other fingers twirling and twisting her hair. When she was a baby it was my hair she would pull on...

So to stop her from twisting it each night we have told her she had to have hair like a mermaid... Ariel from Little Mermaid... that seemed to stop her as she wants to be a mermaid when she grows up. And for the close ups because I can....One of my gorgeous flowers............ in red............

some of my gorgeous flowers in aqua, and red again ...... available soon....... and some sparkle on Collections chipboard....

one more

and anothery..

And lastly .... look what I got from my gorgeous friend Kerri !!!!
Kerri and I have been great online friends now for some time... Shes always good for a laugh and a bit on a tease, she calls me "stalker" to my face....

She must scrap at every waking hour... either that or she never sleeps or eats or cleans her house... or she is a supermum to her two boys... I'll hide in the bushes out the front of her house and let you know...

SO I have to thank Kerri ..... Thankyou Kerri!!!

Post the award on my blog.... done

tell you 8 things about myself....

1. I don't like green lollies
2. I don't like persimmons
3. I don't like Justin Bieber
4. I don't like purple
5. I don't like people playing with their phones while I am chatting to them... I get the hint ok
6. I don't like pigeons .... seriously.... a bird that produces milk... unnatural...
7. I don't like "Puzzle Play" on channel 10
8. I still don't get "The Matrix".... what the?????

now I have to pass it on to 8 others....

you know what... if you read this and think you are worthy... post it on your blog... we would all love to have to stop stalking around in the bushes outside your house and just know more about you all....

I will be off line for a few weeks or months as we are moving, but never fear blog land... I will return. (that's a warning.....)

Be good while I am not looking

luv yews all and I will miss yews...

mad mel xoxoxox

SALE SALE SALE - before boxing day!!!!

Hi girls
Look what I have been up to... I have been so busy preparing these little guys for a photo shoot. I am happy to report they all behaved themselves and are now ready to be adopted by you to add to your layouts, cards, ATC's OTP projects or where ever you like.... within reason of course...

Please have a looksie and let me know what you think....

More Bottle caps ... these ones are Big Birdies {3 for $3.25} and are a beautiful chocolate brown with stunning other muted colours such as blue, apricot,yellow and beige. These are a stunning addition to a more traditional page...But for a bit more fun... here are the Little Birdies playing in the garden - lots of bright coloured flowers and sweet little birdies.. again they are 3 for $3.25.For both styles of bottlecaps - the above is just a guide as to what you can expect, I will randomly choose the birdies and flowers that you will receive - but I assure you, they are all VERY cute!!

Ladybugs on pins {well.... he was miss behaving....} are $1.50 each and are 4.5cm (roughly) high but the bug is 1.5cm diameter

caterpillars {screamapillar because they have ears???} are L2.75 x H1.5cm and $1.50 each

Daisies - little black one near the icecream smiling nicely - are about 1cm diam and are $1 each

butterflies - L2cm x H1.25 and are $1 each

Flat yellow Daisy - 2 cm diam. are $1.50 each

Apples - {2x2cm} $1.50 each

Ice creams - $2 each {L1.5 x H2.5cm}

Gingy {H 1.75 x w 2cm} 2 for $2

Big cuppy cakes $1.50 each {2x2 cm}

Swallows $1.50 each {3cm wing to wing and 2.5 beak to tail}

The plane..the plane... $1.50 each { L2 x H2.5 cm}

Strawberries $1.50 each {1.5cm diam.}

• Because each of these are handmade, some slight imperfections in shape and colour are to be expected.



• They are not toys and so should be kept well away from children and irresponsible adults as they are a choking hazard.



• Please also be wary that they are not acid free so don't place them directly on precious photos. They are however, non-toxic.



• Postage within Australia is $1.20 for up to 3 items and .40c for each items after that.



• Payment is by DD.



• To order please leave contact details {email} in the comments and I will contact you

Thanks for looking!!!!!

For all you Non believers

Click here for the proof
Sit the kids down and show them this Santa page - all of us here read through this official Santa site each year, its very informative and explains how exactly Santa crosses the world in one night. It even explains the time zones.
To all of you who don't believe.... BAH HUMBUG!!!

I am leaving my little home very soon after the new year so blogland will lose its local loony for a few weeks as I don't think the cardboard box under the tree that we will be living in ( my daughter told her kinder teacher that's where we will be living....) will have internet access.... I will be stalking from afar with the free internet at the library from time to time... so stay in touch and I will be back soon {yes... that's a warning...}
In the meantime - everyone have a wonderful Christmas with your families, thankyou for being great "friends" and for the laughs and the gorgeous comments throughout the year, I love it, and the inspiration from all you gorgeous girls.
Have a safe and happy new year, I will contact you from my cardboard box from the tin can attached to a piece of string... cross fingers it works...

Merry Christmas Bloggians!!!

down in the valley...

In the summertime -you might be lucky to meet some of my very sweet new friends.

We did a little photo shoot and their images are now available on the funky bottle caps for you to add to your scrapbook pages, cards, journals or whatever you like.

In your pack you will receive a random batch of three Valley Friends bottle caps to enjoy. They dont have the creatures names on them when they arrive BTW...

They are $3.25 and $1.20 postage.

Let me introduce them to you....

This is Sheldon the Owl ... he is a bit of a "know it all" if you know what I mean... but still super cute!!
then we have Fergie the Flirty Fox....
she is quite hard to get a hold of as she sleeps most of the day and is out flirting all night, she may look all shy and innocent but her favourite game is "hard to get" with the fellas of the valley...
Heidi and Hubert Hedgehog... they are in love, Heidi thinks its funny when Hubert balances mushrooms on his spikes... they are really quite sickening when they are together... so I have separated them for these photos, Hubert is in the next photo.


Fergie loves the camera.... but here is Hubert, showing off as usual, and Nigel the Gnome - he is a bossy boots - he thinks he is the boss of the Valley

next, let me introduce Pablo the paranoid Squirrel... don't make any sudden moves around him... he is quite skittish, like he has a secret to hide... strange... personally, I heard from Gidget that he is a kleptomaniac and somewhat of a hoarder... see below...

Gidget... don't tell her any of your secrets... she is the biggest gossip and flies of to tell Nigel everything... she is a lovely person..but remember, NO SECRETS she has alot of friend I will introduce you to soon...

And then there is Bambi... she is Fergies best friend, they get up to all sorts of mischief, if you want details, just ask Gidget... she will tell you everything...

Also in the valley... I found Pablos stash of cloth patches and milk bottle lids and other vintage ephemera that he has collected, and so have put together a vintage set of bottle caps for those of us who love vintage... I think Pablo should share his stash don't you...
Again 3 for $3.25 with $1.20 for postage... here are some examples of what you might receive...
Leave a comment below to order...
an email is also handy... I will risk my fingers from bites and scratches to get the vintage labels to you... that's the type of girl I am...

gotta run before I get caught...
Mad Mel xxx

Another Year on...

After 6 full years of Kindergarten, my time has finally come to an end. I am sad to be no longer a kinder parent, but with all the kids just next door at school, we can still pop in to say hi whenever we like.

So my baby girl graduated kinder yesterday - and I was very brave and didn't cry!! She was so excited and the kids all put on a little concert before the certificate ceremony and then we had a party ... then we came home and had some of her sweet little friends over for a play - love having little girls in the house, so much quieter playing dolls and tea sets and babies than the boys racing in and out with dinosaurs, trucks and footballs...

Here she is proudly displaying her certificate Another of my friends Daughters graduated primary school on Monday. Natasha is such a sweet girl and is always friendly and smiling and is the type of girl any mother would like their own daughters to be like at her age... so, using my Old Favourites Vintage paper pack {yes... its STILL going - such great value} I made this cute little gift box to put some hair clips I made her in...

and packaged it up with twine....

Congrats to you Tash, we know you will do well in high school, and to my baby girl!! :(

be good

Mad Mel

Lollipop Ladies hidden suprises...

mmmmm... I like biting into a block of violet crumble... to get to the honeycomb on the inside... ohhhh yeah...

I eat mine by biting off the chocolate on the outside first... much to my hubby's annoyance!! I eat party pies the same way... I eat the "lid" then the filling.. then the base... only when I am home, never in public... or if I have to .. under the table at a party when no one is watching....

Anyway... the lollipop ladies challenge this fortnight was to use the choc honeycomb as inspiration... but we had to add hidden journalling.

I love hidden journalling, especially in little envelopes, but I found this gorgeous Kraft envelope with the twine twisty thingo sealer and HAD to use it on this LO of my gorgeous little man wrestling a crocodile at Taronga zoo. I stamped it and made it a feature of the LO and inside the envelope is drawings he leaves lying around the house of crocodiles.

And because it was honeycomb - I stole a bee eraser that was also lying around next to the pencil box and pictures of crocodiles, vikings and dragons... and used it as an embellie on my LO... at least it wont be lying around now, and a little BG bee and he monopoly money is the same colour as honeycomb.... and the cardstock is actually chocolate brown...

If there is going to be another like Steve Irwin ... this little guy is going to be him ...or he is going to marry Bindi Irwin...no ALI!!! Don't say it!!! some of Jinxy's drawings of crocodiles... tucked away for the future... so head on over to the Lollipop Ladies for some sweet inspiration and play along this fortnight, we would love to see you there!!!

not many sleeps to go so be good for goodness sake ... yes even you Ali !!!

Mad Mel

happy birthday big boy ... and a secret revealed!!

Yeah yeah yeah.... I know one and a half hours afterwards I am writing about this little mans birthday and yeah yeah yeah... because he is the first born he gets a blog post on his birthday instead of a couple of days later like his third born sister.... BUT... he is the first born and therefore the best... the middle child will always be the middle child... never better than the oldest and never cuter than the youngest.. the earlier they know that the better....

SO ... this morning we welcomed the Zinga's into the year 2010... yes we finally have a piece of technology in the house that dates after the year 2000.

We don't have a plasma, a wii {except on the bathroom floor after the boys have been there}, an X-box, a playstation, i-pods, i- phones, anything with the letter "i"... my mobile phone is analogue.. so is our little box of a telly... so today... we have a DSi ... finally something with an "i",

Yep. think he is stoked about that!! and this is not a posed photo.. seriously, this was his reaction... love it!! And yep - that's me on the right in desperate need of an underarm wax, arm wax, eyebrow wax and lip and chin wax too... but check out my guns!!! {sorry babe.. love the face fluff... its not me girls... really..}

Happy birthday little man!! 9 years old!!

now i can share my little secret... finally... Miss Shell over at Challenge heaven has finally posted my LO on her blog because I am honored to be the December Guest Designer for Challenge Heaven!!! dont believe me?? Check THIS out {happy dance ... happy dance...}

Here is my LO of my gorgeous daughter... who is pure sugar and spice... all in the matter of minutes... cant wait for the teenage years when I send her off to the tallest tower of the tallest castle until her true love arrives.... with mood stabilisers...

Love how this LO turned out.. love these papers

and close ups ....

and one of my flowers which are available real soon

head over to Challenge Heaven... every month there are new challenges, sketches and prizes to win and the girls are just the best, I have made so many great friends here and won a couple of comps too... just watch out for that cheeky Shell editing answers to bio questions to make you appear quite strange...

Picnic time for teddy bears...

well after winter, I look as big as a bear and with this heat ... I am as grumpy as a bear, and with all this packing, I want to hide in a cave and sleep like a bear.....

So lets go on a lovely picnic and skip through the wild flowers....

There are no flies or ants in this kit.. just butterflies, sun-shiny flowers, ladybugs, hedgehogs, frogs, caterpillars {with ears???} and I even kept you a cupcake - chocolate swirl.. yummmmm...

... I'll bring the wine {yep, our fave one Sue, some for you too Mel..}

$7 a pack and $1.20 for postage will have you on your own little picnic... well you can dream.

OMG - SHE SCRAPS!!!

As you would probably know... my mojo had been boxed up in the millions of boxes scattered around my house waiting for the big move... well guess what I found!!
Yep ... my scrapping mojo came out of the box last night to visit... and my OF vintage paper pack got another turn at the spotlight.

Featured here on this untitled LO s the vintage book page, ticket, playing card, soft drink label, blue shipping tag, puzzle piece, vintage clothing pattern and my fave... the bakers twine in blue and red...Oh, isn't he sweet sitting there colouring with his little crayons squished in his chubby hands and the dinosaur right there in front of him... closely guarded of course... I love this photo but until now have never scrapped it ...This little man turns 9 on Wednesday

here is a beautiful OF hat pin ... so many colours to choose from.....

woopsie ... tilt your head sideways for a better view of my OF vintage soft drink label, puzzle piece I covered with vintage paper, and .... OF twine


I saw this LO by Louise Nelson and thought it was a great idea to subtly add this "daggy" chipboard dinosaur and make it funky...

I also made this funky little gift wrapping idea again from the goodies in the vintage paper pack from Old Favourites

and another photo because I can...

ok ... be good because you-know-who is watching...

{do I mean Santa?? I am affectionately called "stalker" by some...} at least I think its affectionately... Kerri?? Ali???