Hi at last!

I have been dying to get on here and chat to you all. Actually I had every intentions of posting whilst we were away, and I did fill you in on the Incentive Trip (the post that took me over 4 hours!) and so I was a little “over it”.

Rod and I had such a wonderful time together celebrating our 10 year wedding anniversary, I just wanted to lap up every minute of it, as I knew it was a rare occurance, and not likely to happen again for a while! So I know you will forgive me!

BUT having said all that I will make it up to you. I have missed my stamps dearly and I can’t wait to actually get down and dirty with them again!….hmm maybe after I finish this post.

Anyway I did miss the kids too…..yes really, I am not kidding! I actually suprised myself with how much I missed them! Rod and I were really hanging out to get back home. The two flights felt like forever, but thankfully I had a great book (thanks to my bestie who gave it to me for my birthday!).

Well I have told you I am in SHOCK…yep it is true…KNOW WHY? You probably think it is coming home to 4 kids?

Or…… the cold weather, which is so miserable coming from beautiful warm weather

Or…..the noise that four youngsters make….yes you can imagine can’t you!

Or…..the fact that all meals, washing, cleaning, now belong to me, not that lovely house maid who popped into the hotel room each day!

Or…..that I have jumped on the scales to see what the Holiday munching damage has resulted!

NOPE not one of those things at all!

Yesterday when we landed at the airport we eagerly got off the plane to go and meet our oldest two munchkins who we knew where going to be there. So it was just wonderful to see Tiarne, and Elijah and give them big hugs. Rod’s folks had looked after them and so we chatted to them too of course.

Whilst we were doing that I had someone approach me from behind, to my left and say “Hi Keesh”…..me not knowing who it was, turned around to find…….

MY BROTHER BRYN!!! Much to my absolute SHOCK! I screamed (yes literally!!!) and just about jumped into his arms! I couldn’t squeeze him hard enough and then I burst into tears because of the shock!

Bryn has been away travelling the world for the past 19 months. I have missed him terribly But I was so happy that he was seeing the world and having the time of his life. He had planned to come home in 10 days time, so I have been busy planning in my mind how I would welcome him home. I had hoped to set up his bed in our lounge, make him a lovely welcome home card to stash under his pillow, and of course make him is favourite meal…..my Lasagna, with Chocolate Eclairs for dessert ( his all time fav). He is my only sibling too, so it was just wonderful to see him home and in one piece (although rather skinny I might add…hmmm what is his secret….I will have to find out) Somehow I think it is a diet of Beer and I’m not a fan of beer really.

Bryn met a wonderful girl in Greece early last year whilst he was travelling. Her name is Kate, and she is from Maryland in USA. They have been together ever since, and she is just wonderful. I can’t wait till Christmas when she will come and spend a month with us….yes I have been planning that too! Anyway Kate has begun a new course at College and had to get back to the States earlier than expected so they cut their holiday in Greece short and parted ways. So Bryn thought why hang around London for an extra 10 days, I will go home and suprise everyone! Well that he did.

My Mother in law did take a photo of us at the airport which once I get off her I will show you as I am sure it will display the absolute shock, and mascara running down my cheeks!

Have to say though that it was funny too because as we were walking back to the car, Elijah tells me that he was really “embarrassed” when I screamed in the airport! Hah….can’t believe I am already embarrassing him, isn’t he meant to be like 14 before that happens! LOL!

Okay enough rambling…..you probably are sick of it. SO at long last I am going to show you some stamped images, not just photos!

I am not going to call this post….

Two kinds of “ALWAYS”

 Well many of you have seen that lovely new stamp set called Always that has been released in the new Spring mini….hmmmm just love that set! I have had a little play with it, ( I don’t feel as if I have touched the surface of what it can do yet tho!) and anyway I made a couple of different things with it.

Here they are:

Love the rustic colours of this card. I have used Chocolate chip for the base, and stamped it with the Scratched background stamp. Then I added a strip of Bayou cardstock that I mounted with a strip of DS paper from the Apple Cider paper pack. I stamped the bird in Bayou ink and the branch in Really rust. The greeting is from the Warm words stamp set that I set into a Large oval Hodgepodge hardware. Lastly adding some Bayou stitched ribbon and a photo ancor to finish it off.

With this card I have used Chocolate chip cardstock for the base, adding a square of Pretty in pink that I mounted a strip of Cocoa ink, and some Regal rose wide Grosgrain ribbon, which I cut the hem at an angle. I stamped the heart with Versamark and embossed it with clear embossing powder. Laslty adding some paper piercing along the bottom, and the greeting from the Always set, that I puched out with the Window tab punch.

For this card I used Blue Bayou, Soft sky and Real red as the colour combo. I have used the red DS paper from the Summer picnic paper pack. Then I stamped the branched with bayou ink, and the flower in Real red which I have cut out and mounted. The Bayou ribbon has been folded over and slipped under the square. I lastly added the greeting which I have tucked under the strip of Bayou cardstock and some paper piercing also around the Bayou square.

Here is another Heart card. I used Bayou and Certainly celery for the colours. The base of Bayou cardstock I stamped the little circle floral stamp over that background. Then I have added a strip of spotty certainly celery DS paper which I have paper pierced both a row onto each. Then I have stamped the heart and embossed with white embossing powder and cut out, mounting it over a strip of double stitched ribbon. Then I added the greeting which I punched out with the large oval punch and added a rhinestone brad.

Another little birdy card….a peek a boo one this time. I have used a range of the Berry bliss DS papers mounted onto Close to Cocoa cardstock. I have stamped the bird and then created a litte frame with my scallop punch to go around him. The always greeting is from the set as well. Lastly adding the pretty in pink satin ribbon.

Then lastly I made this little scrapbook page of my daughter Tiarne. I have used Basic Grey for the base which once again I have stamped the little floral circle stamp over the background. Then mounting her photo in Soft sky and Pretty in pink….I am suprised at how well these colours worked together! I suppose I can once again thank “Pumpkin Patch” for the great colour combo! Damn I love that shop!!! I can’t wait to go look at the new summer releases too! Anyway I have added a strip of Pretty in pink cardstock which I also added two strips of Basic grey taffeta ribbon to. The heart has been stamped with versamark, and grey ink and embossed with clear to get it to shine. I have stamped a few different little circles and punched them out, and last of all added the greeting which I stamped and punched out with the large oval punch.

So there you have a little snippet of what the “Always” stamp set can produce!

Now onto the other kind of “Always”……..I know I am weird with all these strange metaphors! BUT you will understand….. I am not all that kooky….really

Last month over at www.aussiescrapbooking.com they had a challenge where you had to produce scrapbook page that had the title “Always on my mind” I began work on this page whilst I was in Busselton, but didn’t quite get it finished. Then came home to the huge job of putting the last things together for the Stamp a thon etc…. etc….

So I now have it finished and this is what I came up with……

Yes that is Chocolate you see on the photos!!! When I was planning this page, I was craving Chocolate….which I do most days! LOL! And I remembered these photos that my gorgeous friend Monique had on her blog! So I started to plan this page with chocolate piccies….thanks to Monnie moo for letting me use them! She is just so darn creative with that camera of hers and is always taking photos of the most amazing things that you would just never think of.

Anyway I have used Elegant eggplant cardstock for the base, adding some soft sky and rose red DS papers, and a row of Eggplant grosgrain ribbon too. The title is stamped using the Whimsical, and Big deal Alphabet stamp sets. I also created a scallop edge to go around the block of photos.

SO there you have my 2 kinds of Always…… and yes whilst I love chocolate, I so need to start behaving myself! After holidays, and with summer coming, I am going to have to say bye-bye to my little chocolate stash, and work on getting rid of that muffin top! I will keep you posted on how well I go!

Till tommorrow for the Make it Monday!

Have a good night,

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