Hidy ho  

I hope you have had a super duper wonderful Thursday today.  I had a quick trip into Geraldton to take Robby in so he could pick up a ute that had some repairs on it.   So when I got home I made me a coffee, sat at my craft table & thought & thought & thought & finally something came to me …..YAY!!!

Here’s what I made

I was so happy with how this turned out that I made 2 more. 

Here is a close up of the ute

& the greeting

Now while I was stamping today I had this wonderful view out the window……………

how B…E…A…U…T…I…F…U…L…!!!! is the rain?!  It hasn’t rained here for about 3 weeks, so this HAS BEEN OH SO WONDERFUL & life saving.  The crop was just starting to really need a drink

SMILES all around in the Kitto household

I hope you like what I’ve made today, I’m off to go cook pizza for dinner so I had best rush before my darling children ruin our house!!!

Till next time……keep smiling

Well I’m back,  I haven’t been away for long, but for me it seems like AGES.  Life has been very hectic of late.  Hubby is busy spraying summer weeds.  They have set up this new fang dangled sprayer that can sense when there is green matter to spray.  So in the past they would go out in the evening & start spraying, fill up the tank over & over again throughout the night, but now with this new machine, it only sprays when it “sees” something green…..so they are saving time, chemical & money……I’m likin’ it.  The only problem is that I am staying up till all hours of the night to wake hubby so he can go out to work.  We tried the alarm clock, but both slept through it…..I mean it’s not as if you are meant to wake up at 1am after going to bed at 10pm, that’s just when I’m getting into a good sleep
I’m trying oh so hard to be a “nice mum” & so far it is working.  The kids know I’m tired & they realise Robby is tired too, he’s only getting about 3 hours at a time a couple of times a day, so that’s not good
But it is nearly over.  Ok so while I’ve been up & waiting for the time to pass, no I haven’t been stamping…..naughty I know, but I’m honestly too tired to put full effort in, so I’ve been reading my Sookie Stackhouse books & watching the True Blood dvd’s I have.  True Blood is the tv series that is based on the Sookie Stackhouse novels.  I read these books while we were on holidays & I decided to start them again, I really enjoy reading them. 
So blah blah blah……ok that’s enough of my babbling for now

Today I’m going to show you the wonderful parcel I received in the mail.

Kim( my secret sister sending to me) spoilt me rotten over Christmas…..I was actually pleasantly surprised becuase I received this after the New Year, with school holidays I only collected my mail every couple of weeks, so Christmas was spread out for me….yippee!!!

This is Kim’s Christmas card

Lovely notebook….I have te honest with you….I’m not keen on the Kaleidoscope dsp in the Summer Mini but I just love these colours & the butterflies

Gorgeous bookmark

A gorgeous stationery set

& inside all these goodies

Isn’t this set just STUNNING!!!!!

I love all of it & I have been meaning to make a set myself, but just haven’t gotten to it, this has definitely inspired me to have a go  

THANKS SO MUCH KIM

I will be back tomorrow with some more creations…..so till then, keep smiling

G’day to ya!

I hope you are having fun today, maybe you are stamping, maybe catching up on housework……whatever it is I hope you are enjoying it.

Today I have a couple of quick cards to show you that I made for birthday cards lately.  I found some left over kits from workshops & they included some Groovy Guava cardstock from last year’s catalogue.

Now I know both of these are pretty simple, but I’m actually quite happy with how they turned out.  I coloured directly onto the rubber of the stamp to get the different colours on the images

Now I want to have a chat to you about things that have been happening around here lately & what is happening in the near future. 

Harvest is taking WAY TOOOOO LONG
Oh no it’s not that bad, it just seems like they have been at it for a very long time & we are usually nearly if not finished by now & we havn’t had much of a break from the slog of it all.  I’m not totally complaining, just having a little “vent”  lol
So if you don’t want to be bothered with my “vent” then I’m sorry I don’t have any more stamping related news for you, just personal stuff.
With Robby up super early & off every morning before the kids get up & then getting home after 9pm every night & him being totally EXHAUSTED after his long busy days, I’m feeling rather flat myself. 

Robby & I are true solemates & without him I’m a bit lost.  I don’t totally rely on him or anything,  I am my own person & I can do things without him & can enjoy my own & others company, but at night when the kids are in bed & the evening is cool & we have been busy all I want to do is sit & chat with him.  Most of the time he isn’t home but when he is all he wants to do is eat his dinner & go to bed & I’m completely understanding of that, it just gets a bit lonely when my solemate is just so tied up with other things.

I haven’t been stamping lately & I desperately need to as I have some secret santa things I need to finish off & some other cards & presents to do too
This morning I have been cooking up a storm, so I have enough food for the workers lunchboxes for another day or two & then I have a doctors appointment tomorrow (just a quick one to have some stitches removed), the bank manager is here on Thursday & then I hav a friend coming out on Friday, which will be super duper nice

So I suppose I am here trying to tell you I will not be back  here for a little bit.  I have kids concerts, end of school, work Christmas parties & lots of mailing to finish sorting out.  I will try my hardest to get here every now & then becuase I do have some pics I have been working on with some teacher gifts I have made, but I just really don’t want to promise anything.

I know you will understand that this time of the year is that bit extra busy for me, with not only Christmas, kids concerts but also harvest & finishing off paperwork for all of that, trying to make tonnes balance, find delivery dockets etc…..

I am truely sorry for not being able to commit to you on here, but this is one of the thing I love about Stampin’  Up! & this craft.  I love the fact that with Stampin’  Up!  I get to choose when I work & where I work & if life is busy then I can take a step back from my commitment to step back into it when I am ready & able to.  With stamping & creating I love how my inspiration flows & can come & go as it pleases, when it is gone I can totally concentrate on my kids & family (which are so super important to me) & then when it finally comes back I can share my creations with not only my family but also with you, my wonderful blog readers.

Thank you so much for calling by today & I do truely hope you enjoy your day.  I will be back before Christmas to wish you a Merry one, so until then

THANK YOU……….THANK YOU…………..THANK YOU for stopping by & understanding that life is a little busier than usual here

Hugs & happy thoughts coming your way

So how’s this 2 posts in one day…..I must have a temperature (lol)

Right now Robby & a couple of guys are putting up some new silos.  We have 3 already & have another 2 going up at the moment.  The silos are really quite big (they hold 1500 tonne) & I’ll show you a couple of pics so you can get an idea of what they are like.

We use the silos to store our lupins that we grow.  We sell them privately & need to store them until the buyers are ready for them.  Ok so here are a couple of pics of them going up right now

The silos in the right of the picture are the ones we have already up & finished.  The smaller one ont he left of the picture is the one that is being put up at the moment & the smallest one to the left is the 5th silo that will be going up, it has 1 ring on it & when they put the roof on I’ll take another couple of pics & post them so you can see how it happens

This is Duncan & Neville puting the bolts in.

This is a pic of the guys on the inside

Here is a closeer pics of the 5th silo.

Also we are harvesting & while I didn’t get a pic of the harvester working, I did get this pic of one of the field bins, this one has canola in it & is waiting for the truck to come & pick it up to deliver it to Geraldton

& what do you know…..a truck turned up while I was taking the pic

So that’s just a quick insite to what is happening in my part of the world right now

I’ll show you some creations tomorrow, so thill then……keep smiling

Good afternoon world

I want to start off by saying a big SORRY I haven’t been around lately.  I planned on being here, but between one thing & another it just didn’t happen.  That is one thing I love about being a Stampin’ Up!  demonstrator, I can fit it in with everything in my life & my life has been quite full of late.

So as the title says, MIA which is what I have been from here.

Stamping which I have been doing a fair bit of over the last couple of days, trying to catch up & get in front before we get more men to look after.

Prep, this has a bit to do with the previous one, stamping related, I have been prepping for (unfortunately not workshops, but) my secret sister & my USA swap sister, plus a couple of other swaps I am doing right now.  Also I am organising another Cyberstamp for some Stampin’ Up! demonstrators, [if you are a demo & aren't a member on ESAD-SU, which is a fabulous Yahoo forum for Stampin'Up! demonstrators, click here, you can join up & join in with all the fun] & just trying to get some helpers with tutorials etc… This is all on the go now, so it is under control. 

Family, well that is really the highest priority, even if it is 4th on the list *g*.  I have had Maddi home all last week with tonsillitis, she is back at school now & much better, but Tom has come down with a temp & just doesn’t want to go to school, I’m now just waiting for the other 2 to get sick now & then they would’ve all had some ‘special mum time’ …lol.  Other than illness, it has just been great to spend some time with them, changing bedrooms around, changing over to summer sheets etc…

Farming, or should I say life….lol *g*  Harvest started on Monday & they were going along quite well until yesterday & today ….WE HAVE HAD RAIN……GRRRRRRRR .  Rain rain can’t you hear, stay away till next year.  So the paperwork is up to date, the QA  is going along well & record keeping for each tonne of grain that comes off has started, it isn’t hard, just a matter of dedicating a day to set all the worksheets up to keep record as well as I can.

So now it comes to me……some me time……no not really, well I spose you could say last night (or should I say this morning) between 12 & 2 am was some ‘me time’ , it was so quiet, apart from the rain & wind. Just lovely to sit & stamp & resize some pics…..Oooo pics are done & ready to post so here we go

I have been cheatingcleaning & rearranging in my craft room & I found a heap of old kits that hadn’t been used at workshops & I thought i haven’t even thought about my Christmas cards…..hmmmm I could use some of these, the colours could be a bit different, but I like Christmas cards that are a bit different in colour

Now that i have said that i am going to show you a traditional Christmas coloured card, lol
This is one I did at a workshop a couple of weeks ago, it uses the technique….nah can’t rememebr it, hang on I’ll go find it & be back in a tick, Oh of course it is, GHOSTING, ok so here is the pic

All supplies Stampin’ Up!

Stamp set:  Fresh Cuts,  Season of Joy

Ink:  Kiwi Kiss, Versamark, Riding Hood Red, Old Olive

Cardstock:  Real Red, Whisper White, Old Olive, White Gloss

Accessories:  Brayer, Wide Oal Pnch,Two-Way Glue Pen, Dazzling Diamonds, Old Olive grosgrain ribbon, Distressing tool on Cutter Kit, Stampin’ Dimensionals

I really do like the way this card came up & just love that little BLING on the tree
Because I always cut extra kits for workshops I had a couple left over & decided I could have a go at making a card similar but different, here it is

 I didn’t do the ghosting tech on this one & I’m actually happier with it, I love the effect of the red Fresh Cuts stamp on the gloss
So I made a few of these, unfortunately I didn’t have that many extra kits, so there is only a couple of these, but I have heaps of other cards that I have made.  Unfortunately I can’t show you just yet, because I am going to use them in the Cyberstamp, but I will have some other things to show you soon. 

I have received some lovely things in the mail again, they just keep coming in

So I will be back in the next couple of days to show you what my new secret sister has sent me, I also need to find the pics I took of the final gift I made to send to my secret sister last round, so I am working on that too

Till I see you here nex time…….keep smiling

Happy Saturday to you wherever you are in the world

I just thought I’d let you know I have been busy creating…..YIPPEE I had a very productive day on Thursday & again last night.  Rather than post the projects here I thought I’d head you to my gallery, I have uploaded a few new pics in there, go have a look, I’d love to know what you think on them & if you would like any details on them just drop me a line, I’ll fill you in with all the goss

Here’s one of the pics

Well now to my post title…..We are of camping….lol  Well it is official we are heading over to one of out other blocks to take the kids camping for the first time evvvveeeeeeerrrrrrrrr!!!!!!!!!!  I’m so excited.  Robby has put a canopy he had made for the ute onto a trailer & the kids will sleep in their swags in there.  Robby & I are going to pike a little & sleep in the car

Anyway school holidays started here yesterday so I won’t be around with a huge amount of projects, but I w ill get back to stamping & creating & posting as soon as I can.

Till then, enjoy you weekend & if you are a football fan (here in Oz) enjoy the grandfinal today.

Lotsa hugs & happy smiles

Hi there everyone, I hope you are having a wonderful day today

This week has just flown by & I can’t believe we are at the middle of the week.  I went into Geraldton & had some retail therapy on Monday & stamped for alot of Tuesday, today is full of housework & I really do want to do another couple of projects to show you, but …….. I thought I’d just let you know there won’t be much up here for a few days.

At Mingenew we have an event called the Mingnew Expo.  This is a farm realted show of most machinery & farm realted things.  There are a few things for the kids & women to look at, but not alot.  Anyway it goes for 2 days & is the ritual of going for both those days

Thursday I am helping out in the kitchen & then we will pick up the kids to take them to the show to join in on the fun & BBQ tea & watch the fireworks

Friday the kids have the day off school, so they can all join in on the fun at the show (they exchange this day for one earlier in the year).

So as much as I would love to show you a project or 2 I don’t know that I’ll have the time to upload some pics etc…… so I promise I will be back next week with some exciting new things I have been working on. 

I will soon be able to show you the things I have made to send to my secret sister……..it’s getting closer now & I’m so excited

Till next week, have a wonderful weekend & take care

Hi ho, how are you going today?  I’m having a reasonable day today, we have had a business meeting  this morning and now onto……..life.  Ok so this week I have sorted out the uniform orders for school (I’m uniform co-ordinator), stamped, done some bookwork for the farm, cooked some yummy snacks & been down to Mingenew to collect the mail.

Can you believe there are more birthday cards?????  I still have quite a few to show you & I will actually have some of my work coming up soon

This lovely card was made by a wonderful lady named Kerri Donsky.  Kerri was super nice to me earlier int he year because she sent me one of the swaps she made to take to Convention in April & because I couldn’t go she felt sorry for me…….(lol) so she sent me one of her swaps, how super sweet is that

I love the way Kerri has made the pots that the flowers are sitting in, must made a mental note of this.  Thanks so much Kerri for your card.

Here we have a card made by Kylie Leusciatti.  Kylie is a fellow WA-ian, (she is in Kojonup).  The colours in this card are gorgeous & I do love these butterflies.  Thanks Kylie

 Now here is another lovely card made byt he lovely Jenny Hayward.  Here Jenny has used the yummy colour combo of Chocolate Chip, Certainly Celery & Very Vanilla, along with the stamp set Baroque Motifs.  Thanks so much Jenny, I really do appreciate your thoughts & birthday wishes.

& finally for today here is yet another super special card made by the lovely Vicki  McSharer.  Thanks Vicki, it is lovely & I have case-d it to make some of my own.

Ok so that’s it folks.  Here are another wonderful collection of cards.  I feel so grateful these generous ladies took the time to make me a card each, the smile is still on my face when I look at them all.

Thanks for calling by, I really appreciate you taking the time to check in on what’s happening in my part of the world.

Till next post…….keep smiling

Howdy

Today I am going to show you a little gift I made for each of the ladies who helped me run the Cyberstamp & I feel like I am talking about this lots, but it  really was a big weekend & I did stamp alot & I am so chufed with how everything worked out, don’t you just love it when that happens

I wanted to make something little & cute to sendto these precious ladies & as I said yesterday I have done some online shopping recently ( & I’m going back for more….lol).  I got the coffee bags I was telling you about & also some of the cutest little tins.  With these ones they have a hinge on them & I have just covered them with some dsp & then filled with ribbon & chocolates.  I made a belly band to go around the middle & a sweet little tag to go onto that.  So here is what they looked like on the outside

The papers I have used are from the Bella Rose dsp pack & the ribbon is Pink Pirouette.  I stamped the Thank you from Cute & Curly stamp set in Riding Hood Red onto Pink Pirouette & then punched it out using the Curly Label Punch, I have tied this on using some crochet thread (I love using this)

Ok so now for the inside

 I have just rolled up a little ribbon & added some yummy chocolate.  These turned out so sweet & the ladies all loved them to bits. Oooo makes me all warm & gooey on the inside knowing they smiled when they open their mailbox

Ok so I am now off to do some more farm paperwork & I will be all caught up really soon so then I will be able to get back to stamping….YIPPEE

Till next time…………….keep smiling

OH & I TOLD YOU THE OTHER DAY THAT IF I FOUND OUT LISA’S BLOG ADDY I WOULD POST IT.  IF YOU CLICK HERE IT SHOULD TAKE YOU THERE

Hi again

First thing I am going to show you is a photo I took yesterday

YIPPEE you guessed it ……it rained here yesterday & it was a really nice heavy soaking rain.  So the title of Happy Day is stating what it was for us yesterday &  yes there are the biggest grins on this farm at the moment

This is a photo of our gutters overflowing.  It is really funny because when we built our house, alot of people told us we were silly for having 4metre verandahs & there is no way the rain would ever hit the walls…..hahahaha  When the wind blows & the rain falls it goes EVERYWHERE.  So the lovely clean windows I had On Tuesday night weren’t so clean last night, (they weren’t too bad tho).  I love our wide verandahs’, but that’s not what I am meant to be talking to you about so I will get onto showing you a craft creation

On Friday night I was doing some blurfing &when I came across this creation of Chantelle’s I knew I just had to give it a go.  This is what I came up with

 This is a 12×12 scrap page folded into 1/4′s  & into a little booky thingy

This is apparently one of the projects completed at Convention this year .

Now below is what it looks like opened up

All supplies Stampin’ Up!

Stamp Set:  Flight of the Butterfly,  Lovely Labels,  Baroque Motifs

Ink:  barely Banana,  Pretty In Pink

Cardstock:  Pretty In Pink,  Barely Banana,  Washington Apple dsp, Whisper White

Accessories:  Aluminium circle metal edge tag,  Assortment Clips,  Pretty in Pink striped grosgrain ribbon,  Scallop edge Punch,  1 3/8″Circle punch,  Heart to Heart punch, Linen thread,  paper piercer & mat pack,  Stampin’ Sponges,  Stampin’ Dimensionals, Various buttons (not SU)

There are a couple of other pages that I haven’t put anything on because I ran out of Barely Banana (oh no!) & when my order turns up I will be adding some more card because this could hold up to 6 photos in total if you want.  It was so super easy,  this will be a fantastic BRAG BOOK to give to the kids’ grandparents for Christmas (one page for each of the kids, sweeeeet).

Well this post has – believe it or not – taken me 2 1/2 hours to do, between phonecalls, a drive down the paddock & lunch for hubby & I.  It is now time to go & pick up the kids, so no stamping done yet again    Oh well there is always tomorrow.

Till next time………keep smiling  (we are becuase it looks like the rain is going to hang around……yeah)