Testing out the camera on the weekend, and Sam was gracious enough to pose patiently for me. I love these two photos of him, surveying his 'land', and taking in the Sunday morning sun.
Testing out the camera on the weekend, and Sam was gracious enough to pose patiently for me. I love these two photos of him, surveying his 'land', and taking in the Sunday morning sun.
We're going to Bali. Can you believe it? This will be our first overseas trip - ever!
This does mean we need to get passports, and most likely injections and stuff, but it's still pretty exciting.
We're going for one week mid-January, to help Renee celebrate turning the big 3-0. The day of her birthday, we're going to go for a full day elephant ride. How cool is that!
Last Sunday, Renee and I went to Dreamworld to see the tiger cubs up close and personal. The previous week I had to get online to buy the tickets, and really didn't think I was in with a chance. Only 20 tickets each day are up for grabs, and I scored two. So then I had to convince someone to go with me, and Renee took up the offer. So the 'experience' was 20 minutes, with 20 other people, and what was supposed to be only 2 cubs, ended up being 3! They were absolutely gorgeous. The trainers tire them out beforehand, otherwise they are too much of a handful. One of the photos below show the constant bite marks in the trainer's hand.
I was suprised at how rough their coat felt. I suppose I was expecting them to feel like Jessie, but they definitely didn't. Also, unlike Jessie, their paws are not ticklish. The trainer said this was because they are not tactile animals. We got to play with their paws, but were not allowed to go near their faces, because they are in training. Seeing the marks on the trainer's hand was enough of a warning for me.When the time was up for the cubs to leave, the trainers picked them up. Because two of them were so tired, they were happy to go, but one of them screamed its head off. I've never heard a sound like it.
Afterwards, we had a quick look at the tiger island enclosure to check out the big cats. This whitish one was actually in the back enclosure when we were with the cubs, sleeping on his 'kennel', and we were within a few metres of him. They are such beautiful creatures, and I am so glad I got to get up close and personal with them. It is by far one of the coolest things I have ever done.
PS. Check out the new hardware hanging around my neck in the shots above. That would be my new digital SLR camera, and happier with it, I could not be.
While I was scanning completed layouts, I thought I add three others that I've completed lately. The first one is using photos from Easter Sunday down at Blacks Beach. I ended up getting a lot of great photos that day, especially of Reed (layout to come), and of Imelda & Frank (used in the layout further below).
I've had this layout of Sam in my head for a while, but was waiting until I had the right photo. I'm still not entirely happy with the photo itself, but it will do. I love this patterned paper from Cloud 9.
I love this photo of Imelda & Frank. I took a series of photos at the time that were all pretty good, but this is my favourite.
I've had this layout of Sam in my head for a while, but was waiting until I had the right photo. I'm still not entirely happy with the photo itself, but it will do. I love this patterned paper from Cloud 9.
I love this photo of Imelda & Frank. I took a series of photos at the time that were all pretty good, but this is my favourite.
Given that our next Get Scrapped Getaway is coming up, I thought I would finally post the results of our last scrap-filled weekend.
On Saturday night, Jason and I attended the wedding of my uncle Ian, and his long-time partner Karen. It was a small but beautiful affair of about 20 guests. The ceremony and reception were held at the Church on Palmer. Kristen (Ian's daughter) played the violin during the ceremony, and Karen's grandchildren, Lakita & Drazic escorted the couple down the 'aisle' and handed over the rings at the appropriate point in time.
While Ian and Karen were signing the register, Kristen payed a bit more violin, but had inadvertantly left her case open (like a busker). I jokingly dared Jason to throw some money in. And what does he do. Yes, you guessed it. Everyone thought it was so funny, including Karen's family, whom we were yet to meet.
The food was beautiful. Jason and I both had the chicken and mushroom parcel for entree, and rib eye fillet for mains, with a chocolate mousse stack for dessert. All very yummy, and by the end I was pretty stuffed (the combination of red wine could have helped with that too).
Kristen and her brother Theo finished the night with a duet. Kristen sang and Theo played the guitar. I can't remember what the song was, but they did a great job.We ended up leaving early due to Jason's lingering flu, but it was a great night.
Thought I'd post a couple of cards I've finished lately. The top one is the card I made for Ian and Karen's wedding (using the Cuttlebug to emboss the chocolate metallic card, before adding a white rubon and some highlights).The one below is a 'thinking of you' card I made for a lady at WW who is in some desperate need of kindness at the moment. Marilyn did up a care basket, and I made the card. I hand cut 3 little butterflies out of the patterned paper and attached to the card with Pritt. The 'stitching' around the patterned paper is one of my newly purchased acrylic border stamps. I really like this colour combination, and the papers are gorgeous.
My plan was to create one of these 'Friends' chipboard albums for each of my friends turning 30 this year. So far, so good. I finished one for Kirsty, and then sent it off without taking any photos of it. I also half made one for Mel, but am waiting for some photos from her before finishing it off. Each album is a different colour scheme. Here are some photos of the one I made for Bryde, and a matching card. These albums take a lot of creativity to finish, but I love the new stamps I had on hand for this album. Will post the brand and details when I remember them.
I can't believe how fast this year is flying; we're half way through July already.
I finally got around to scanning in the layouts I have completed over the last couple of months. Well, actually I think I did all of these in March...
firstly, two layouts for my 'The Kearneys' album, starting with probably my favourite layout from the whole post (and it just so happens to be her birthday today):
A layout about the activities from my last post:
Finally got around to creating a layout for this great photo:
some February love-themed ones for my 'Us' album:
some cuties for my 'Animals We Love' album:
Thanks for looking. Hopefully I'll have more layouts posted next week, when I scan in the results of our 2008 Get Scrapped Getaway.....
I finally got around to scanning in the layouts I have completed over the last couple of months. Well, actually I think I did all of these in March...
firstly, two layouts for my 'The Kearneys' album, starting with probably my favourite layout from the whole post (and it just so happens to be her birthday today):
A layout about the activities from my last post:
Finally got around to creating a layout for this great photo:
some February love-themed ones for my 'Us' album:
some cuties for my 'Animals We Love' album:
Thanks for looking. Hopefully I'll have more layouts posted next week, when I scan in the results of our 2008 Get Scrapped Getaway.....
This last weekend was a huge one for me. Mainly because I haven't drunk as much all year, as I did between Friday and Saturday nights. Friday night we had a couple over to watch the cricket (at least that was the excuse), and it turned into lots of scotch and shots. Then on Saturday night I had Linda's hens night. We went to McGuires first, where we were shouted a tray of shots after being inconvenienced by a drunken yobo. This was then followed by a few more drinks. Needless to say I spent the majority of Sunday on the couch recuperating. Linda seemed to have a great time, and given she didn't get home until 4am, was looking very sharp Sunday afternoon.
After an absence of a couple of months, my scrapbooking bug has returned. Maybe it was something to do with being stuck inside all last weekend, but I was on fire, finishing 5 single layouts, and 1 double layout (including getting started on my 2008 in Review album).
I was inspired to start this 2008 in Review album by the latest copy of Simple Scrapbooks. I liked the idea of doing a layout for each month, with some bullet-point journalling. It allows me to scrap photos that I might not otherwise scrap.
I don't really like how this layout turned out, and it was one that I had sitting ready to go for ages. I did some experimenting with texture paste (to adhere the 'australian' ghost letters, and to stamp the question mark), but I didn't really like the messy way they turned out. I chalk it up to practice.
This is probably my favourite layout from the weekend.
I have never scrapped a layout about myself. So I thought as I'm almost turning 30, it might be an opportune time. Jason took this candid photo while we were waiting for Renee to get her camera for the photos on the following layout.
Renee and I had a great time when she came to stay for the Australia Day weekend. I loved catching up with her and having a lot of laughs (and food)! The layout used one of the TLC Hot Fudge kits, which I'm not a huge fan of, but it really suited these photos.
This layout also used a TLC kit, but one of the older QuikPage kits. Again, I had this photo and kit set aside for ages, and finally finished it.
I was inspired to start this 2008 in Review album by the latest copy of Simple Scrapbooks. I liked the idea of doing a layout for each month, with some bullet-point journalling. It allows me to scrap photos that I might not otherwise scrap.
I don't really like how this layout turned out, and it was one that I had sitting ready to go for ages. I did some experimenting with texture paste (to adhere the 'australian' ghost letters, and to stamp the question mark), but I didn't really like the messy way they turned out. I chalk it up to practice.
This is probably my favourite layout from the weekend.
I have never scrapped a layout about myself. So I thought as I'm almost turning 30, it might be an opportune time. Jason took this candid photo while we were waiting for Renee to get her camera for the photos on the following layout.
Renee and I had a great time when she came to stay for the Australia Day weekend. I loved catching up with her and having a lot of laughs (and food)! The layout used one of the TLC Hot Fudge kits, which I'm not a huge fan of, but it really suited these photos.
This layout also used a TLC kit, but one of the older QuikPage kits. Again, I had this photo and kit set aside for ages, and finally finished it.
It is really hard to believe the amount of water we had this last weekend. Records show we had over 625mm in as little as 6 hours, which not only breaks all Mackay historical records, but Australian records as well. For those who understand some civil engineering geek speak, it equates to almost a Q500 event (1 in 500 year occurance interval). This can't be proved though, because of a lack of historical data.
The damage to parts of Mackay was substantial. A couple we know had the flood waters rise through their house, up to the light switches. The flood itself happened so fast that from the time it overtopped the kerb & channel, to the time it hit the light switches was a little under 20 minutes. Given the short amount of time, there was little most could do, but watch.
Our house, and subdivision in general, went unscathed. These photos were taken from the garage, and show the water up to our front boundary.
These photos are of our back yard (apologies for the poor photography, but the light was poor, and I was having to take it through glass to protect the camera from spray).
Poor Sam couldn't get out to go to the toilet (luckily the little trooper just held on until the waters receded). He kept stepping down into the water and jumping back up on to the deck.
Fortunately the sun is now shining.
The damage to parts of Mackay was substantial. A couple we know had the flood waters rise through their house, up to the light switches. The flood itself happened so fast that from the time it overtopped the kerb & channel, to the time it hit the light switches was a little under 20 minutes. Given the short amount of time, there was little most could do, but watch.
Our house, and subdivision in general, went unscathed. These photos were taken from the garage, and show the water up to our front boundary.
These photos are of our back yard (apologies for the poor photography, but the light was poor, and I was having to take it through glass to protect the camera from spray).
Poor Sam couldn't get out to go to the toilet (luckily the little trooper just held on until the waters receded). He kept stepping down into the water and jumping back up on to the deck.
Fortunately the sun is now shining.
