Happy Halloween

So are you trick or treating tonight?

We aren't :(

Bobs is working at the local pub - J is feeling yack after "face planting" the concrete when he came off his bike - he grazed the skin off his top lip and its sooooo sore. Its making him rather grumpy and miserable because he cant eat or drink without his lip hurting - so I tried to take his mind off things by giving him the job of carving this years pumpkin....a task he thoroughly took on board and really enjoyed.

The local farmer grew a field full of pumpkins this year and told us to go help ourselves - but I think J may have slightly over done it as we now have a small army of pumpkins scattered around our garden!

Not a lot else to share - its been a mad week as Ive been finalising and titivating a few projects - one of which has turned out to be my favourite LO ever - I cant share it fully as its for an assignment.....

Lots of Prima, lace, velvet and vintage bits and pieces - yummy.

Have a great weekend and enjoy your evening Trick or Treating.

T.x.x.

Spooky!

Whilst the guys sat watching a movie I took myself off to my scrapping space and put together a couple of Halloween projects.

Click on photo's to enlarge images

I used a piece of corrugated cardboard to create this Spooky wall hanging.
The top layers of the cardboard were peeled away before being painted with white acrylic paint.
Patterned papers from Prima Marketings Rebellious collection were distressed and then layered to form the base before I popped a journaling tag on top.
With a lack of Halloween embellies at hand, I decided to print a couple of clip art images of a Skeleton on to white cardstock - which I then cut out.

To add a little sparkle to the project I used a spray of Prima's Galaxy Stars.

When the kids in our village knock on our door on Halloween Night I'll be handing out Sweet Treat Cones filled with choccies and other sweet delights.
The cones are really easy to make and take just a few minutes to put together - just roll patterned paper into a cone shape, secure and decorate.
I distressed and rolled the edges of the paper before I formed the cone shape as I wanted the pattern of the double sided papers to be visible.

Recycled Prima flower cans are ideal to use for some many different things - I decorated one with a "Spooky Pink" theme to give to a friends daughters for their own Halloween celebrations.


I wrapped a piece of paper from Prima's Rebellious collection around the can before decorating with handcut images from other papers in the range....so simple yet effective, especially when you add some black crystal bling.

Have you made anything spooky?
Care to share?

Thanks for popping by.

T.x.

A Day Off!

Hubs took the day off from work today so we could enjoy some family time together.
The past couple of months have been rather hectic, what with me shooting off all over the place to go teach - so we decided that today would be a good day to take "a day off" from the norm and go catch up with some friends.


We had thought that maybe we would pay a visit to one of the local restaurants and "do lunch" together - but we couldn't decide where to go - so instead we hit our pals home and just chilled out whilst filling our faces and catching up on each others news. The guys all busied themselves playing on the X-Box, whilst the adults sat making plans for Christmas.

Linz "did lunch", with me providing the "afters" - Malva Pudding - which is a pud I feel in love with whilst in South Africa.
Almost every restaurant in Cape Town has Malva Pudding on its dessert menu. Its is a rather homely baked cakey pudding that is so rich, very delicious and extremely indulgent (but has to be tasted at least once in your lifetime!)

My pal from South Africa, Glenda, shared her recipe for Malva Pudding with me - and so this morning I set to work and rustled up my version to take with us to share.....I guess you could say it was a success because there is none left and the guys are asking me to bake some more!!!



Malva Pudding
1 teaspoon of 5ml bicarbonate of soda
125ml milk (½ cup)
200g self raising flour
100g white sugar
2 eggs
6 teaspoons of apricot jam
20g soft margarine or butter
1 teaspoon of salt

* Preheat oven to 180oC or 350oF
* Grease oven proof dish
* Mix the bicarbonate of soda in the milk
* Mix the remaining ingredients together
* Combine milk mixture with the flour mixture and stir well
* Pour into the greased dish and bake for 25-30 minutes until golden brown on the top

Malva Sauce
250ml water
250ml fresh cream or 410g tin of evaporated milk
230g butter
150g sugar
5ml vanilla essence

* Boil the ingredients for the sauce together in a pot
* Stir well
* Pour the sauce over the hot pudding when it comes out of the oven
* Serve with fresh cream or vanilla ice cream - ( I prefer it on its own :D )

Enjoy!!!

T.x.

The Next Step...

This week Pencil Lines Design Team joined forces with The Next Step Technique Challenge Blog using a sketch created by Anna.

This is my take on the sketch using product from Kaiser Crafts Penny Royal collection.


The photograph I used on this page is one I shall treasure always as it was a snatched moment when all of the teachers from the SA Scrapbook Convention were together.


We were all milling about outside our hotel waiting for our transfer to the airport, when we decided it would be a perfect opportunity to get a group shot.
I had so much fun hanging out with those guys and am thankful that I made so many wonderful and lasting friendships.

This is a page I created for Prima Marketing using papers from the Animal Babble collection.


I also used some of Prima's "e-line pearls" - which I love not only because they are pretty as can be - but because they are also light on the pocket :D
The papers were layered and distressed with paper elements hand cut from the patterned papers and layered on to the page using 3d foam.


We have had a lazy weekend with everyone doing as they pleased - I have cleaned and sorted one tiny area of my scraproom - I gave up after 2 hours and decided I'd rather scrap!!



SPOOKY!

Thanks for dropping by.
T.x.x.

Oh! Sooo Cute!!!

Would you like to win one of Prima's latest album's which is a bundle of CUTENESS!
The faux leather is amazing to work with...the colour is simply divine and those scalloped edges??? Absolutely GORGEOUS!


The entire inside is ready for your personal touch with 5 canvas and 5 clear insert pages.....this 6x6 album really is CUTE, CUTE, CUTE.

Want a chance to win one of these SWEET albums?
Just head over to Prima's blog and leave a comment - its as easy as that - and whilst you are there check out what Cari did using one of these cute albums.

A winner will be picked next Wednesday (October 28th, 2009) and this give away is open to both US and international addresses - so what are you waiting for - go leave a comment right now.

Good luck and thanks for dropping by.
T.x.

When you look at your life, the greatest happinesses are family happinesses

I'm sooo happy to be home with my boys, even tho I haven't stopped since I returned as Ive been catching up on things I needed to catch up on - like the mountain of ironing for one!
Being home, just chilling out and chatting with the guys makes me so happy - right now, I honestly feel the happiest I have ever felt - sure there are days when I could scream the roof of our house because the education system in the South West is pants for SEN kids - but the frustation soon eases when I remember just how far J has moved on since his junior school days.
Life is feeling pretty good right now - I wish I could bottle up this contented feeling - I'd save it for the day the bubble bursts ;D

Anyways, yesterday I finally unpacked and put away everything, sorted through some stash and even managed to scrap a couple of pages - all whilst looking after a sick boy - Bobs has gone and contracted Swine Flu which is rather untimely as we were meant to be heading up North to see family for a few days :( No worries - the trip has been postponed until we are lurgy free!

An afternoon scrapping session :D
I thought I'd share my Sassafras Monstrosity class that I taught at Papirfest using a Prima Clear Acrylic Heart Shaped Build A Book, with extra pages created using Claudine Hellmuths Sticky Backed Canvas.


Its a cute little brag book and is the perfect size to give as a gift or to simply pop in to your handbag - click on image for a closer look.

Thanks for popping by.

Tracie.x.

Papirfest 2009

Back in the Spring, my first overseas teaching trip of 2009 saw me visiting Oslo and whilst there I was invited by May Lis to return to Norway and teach at Papirfest - possibly Norway's largest Scrapbooking event....of course I jumped at the opportunity as I knew two of my very special scrapping pals would be there :D

My flight to Norway took me via Amsterdam - over the past few weeks I've wasted many hours sat in that airport waiting for flights, but the guys back home are always happy when I've flown via Schiphol because they know I will be bringing home some of their favourite treats - Stroop Waffle (sickly sweet wafer biscuits that are simply divine on the lips but a danger to the hips!)

I arrived in Stavanger and that's when the fun really began.....I met up with my dearest pal Ania, got to hang out with the delightful Oddbjorg...

and the ever so talented Dina Wakely aka "zipper girl" to those in the know ;)


May Lis and Mari took Dina and I on a quick tour of the town -

Blue skies

Swords in the stone

View from the top of a bloomin great big windy hill!

The lovely May Lis

Norway is beautiful

Sweet lady Mari

A big thank you to Mari for driving me to and fro and for showing me some of the sights of Stavanger and an even bigger thank you to May Lis for inviting me to teach at your superb event....it really was a complete pleasure.

Thanks to Linda, Hege, Anne Lise, Berit, Linda L, Kirsten, Lisbeth, Anita, Nina, Wenche, the other Anita, Anja, Barbro, Kristine, Liina, Anne, Guro, Kari, Wenche H, Helen, Victoria, Liv, Mette, Kari, Victoria E, Line, Marianne, Annette, Maria, Katrine L, Catrine, Marta, Linda S, Gry, Bente, Grethe, Trude, Randi, Solfrid, Hilde, Stina, Renate, Ingeborg, Jann, Inger, Isabell, Vibekke, Bodil, Fatima and all of the other sweet ladies who made me feel so welcome .....thank you - you are all amazingly talented and I feel privileged to have spent the weekend with you all....and of course no scrapbooking weekend would be complete without an essential photo shoot! LOL!

Hey! Look - LOL!

Clowning around with Oddbjorg

Smile for the camera!

Cheeeeese!

My dear pals Dina and Ania

We had sooo much fun....thanks for the memories.

And so, my overseas travels for 2009 have come to an end.
Its time to put away the suitcases and catch up on some family time....and some scrapping too! I've thousands of photos all waiting to be scrapped and I can't wait to get back into my scraproom - it needs a bloomin good sort out tho! Yikes!!!

Its been a great year so far and I feel blessed to have been given the opportunity to have met so many talented and inspiring people. Whilst on my travels I've learnt so much about this wonderful industry - but I've learnt even more about myself..its been a whirlwind few months, with some great highs and a few lows thrown in to mix things up a bit, but I've enjoyed every minute.

Thanks to everyone who left comments wishing Pencil Lines a Happy Birthday :D
As promised one lucky lady has won a baggie of Sassafras goodies - and the lucky lady is YOU!.
Drop me an email with your address and I'll get the parcel posted out to you straight away - although due to the postal strikes it may take a few days to reach you!!!

Thanks for popping by.

T.x.

Happy Birthday from Norway

Its Pencil Lines 3rd Birthday Bash this weekend - loads of goodies up for grabs as well as a few classes and challenges.
Pass the parcel has begun - check out these blogs - hop from one to another, leave a comment and you may just win yourself a super duper scrappping prize :D

Sasha - http://sassysasha.typepad.com
Michelle - http://www.withlovebymushy.com/blog/
Sue - http://www.suedeacon.blogspot.com
Ania - http://aniia.blogspot.com
Yuko - http://scrappinyuko.typepad.jp/
Kate - http://www.digiscrappingqueen.com/blog/
Sandie - http://allscrappedout.blogspot.com/
Jessica - http://jessicajo78.blogspot.com
Danielle Flanders - http://www.danielleflanders.blogspot.com
Dena - http://www.onmydesksomewhere.blogspot.com
Iris - http://www.irisbabaouy.typepad.com
Shimelle - http://www.shimelle.com/
Christiane - http://www.schulu.blogspot.com
Michelle - http://www.withlovebymushy.com/blog/
Anna - http://www.scrappingtonight.blogspot.com
Carina - http://www.carinalindholm.blogg.se/
Carole - http://www.carolestirrat.blogspot.com

Ive got a funky Sassafras kit here up for grabs - the kit includes a Prima Build a Book Acrylic heart shaped mini book - loads of cute Sassafras brads, alphas, stickers and blooms as well as other bits and pieces you need to make a little brag book - if you want to try and win this kit all you have to do is leave me a comment :D

Im teaching in Norway this weekend and am having a blast hanging out with Ania, Oddbjorg and Dina - will updated with photos etc later on - the sun is shining and I want to go take more photos before my next class starts this afternoon.

Have fun and thanks for dropping by.

T.x.x.x.

Gremlins...Be Away Wit You

The Gremlins have moved in! Those pesky little blighters are running riot around our home creating havoc as they go.
First off - they attacked the "brain" on my beloved car and its totally defunked - thank heavens its still under warranty and is being fixed as I type - PHEW! I'm lost without transport and feel like I'm stranded in the outback!

Then they decided to mess around with my puta! How dare they! I'm sure I could hear them snickering as I sat for 3 hours trying to fix the bloomin thing - and as if that wasn't enough torture - they blocked the bathroom sink, moved the garage keys and then exploded my iron....and then they screwed up my camera (which is why I haven't any photos of my weekend in Cornwall to share :( )
I guess you could say it wasn't such a good day - but nothing that couldnt be fixed by a night in front of the fire spent reading manuals, with a glass of something nice to unwind :D

Thankfully the Gremlins have now departed and this week, apart from being Mrs Fix It, Ive been preparing for yet another trip overseas.
This is one one trip that I couldn't refuse as I will be spending the weekend with one of my dearest scrapping buddies, Ania, at Papirfest 2009 in Stavangar, Norway.
Ive been chatting with Ania for the past two years via MSN and email and over this time we have become great friends - we have laughed through the good times and been there for one another through the not so good - and now we finally get to meet for real - I'm sooo excited :D



I'm teaching three classes at the event - 2 Prima and 1 Sassafras - and am really looking forward to meeting up with old and new faces.

Not only do I get to meet Ania but I'm also going to be hanging out with one of my fellow Prima team mates and also the sweetest lady - Oddbjorg :D

Oddbjorg just happens to be this weeks guest designer over at Pencil Lines - do pop over and see her wonderful page - she is such a talented lady.

I used products from Kaiser Crafts Rewind collection to create my interpretation of the sketch.


Its not often that you come across a good line for boys but this range is perfect for teenage boys.


Whilst I was away in South Africa one of my friends got married - Hubs was in charge of the camera and he snapped the photo of my boys chilling out after the wedding ceremony - which was a very relaxed affair....I'm sad that I missed it because from all accounts it was a great day.


Congrats to Mr & Mrs Matt - may your lives always be filled with love, peace and happiness.


Did you know that Pencil Lines is going to be 3 years old this weekend - there will be lots of fun and games with prizes galore up for grabs, so do drop by over the weekend and join in the birthday festivities.....we would love to see you there.

Have fun and thanks for stopping by.
T.x.

We have a winner.....

CONGRATULATIONS!!

This lady has won 2 sets of "Banana Frog" stamps :D
Drop me an email with your address and I'll pop them in the post to you.

Its been a weird day - busy - things going wrong - busy - things going from bad to worse - busy - but its all sorted now and doesn't seem so bad after a large glass of something :D
Tommorrow is another day :D

I had a great weekend away in Cornwall - will share all about it to tomorrow as I'm whacked and need to go get me a refill!

Thanks for popping by.

T.x.x

Travels part 2

Leaving Kichaka was really difficult - it was such a special place and I'm pretty sure that if all of the members in the group had been given the opportunity we would have stayed there for just one more day - but alas we had a plane to catch - a plane we almost didn't make - we arrived at the airport 6 minutes after the gate to Cape Town had closed - but our wonderful host, Glenda, soon fixed things and it we were up, up and away - goodbye Port Elizabeth - hello Cape Town.

We checked in to our hotel - The Winchester - the decor was VERY English - but with a name like The Winchester it couldn't be anything else!
The hallways outside the hotel rooms were mini putting greens and it didn't take long for some members of the group to tee off :D

After a quick freshen up, we all headed out to the V&A Waterfront Shopping Centre to enjoy an afternoons retail therapy.....followed by a snooze by the pool before an evening spent eating and relaxing.


The next morning we checked out of our hotel and headed off for a tour around Cape Town - we couldn't make it up to the top of Table Mountain as the winds were too fierce for the cable car to operate safely....*sigh*
So instead we ventured off in the safe hands of our guide for the day and enjoyed the sights and sounds of The Cape of Good Hope.


We went to Surfers Corner and I couldn't resist dipping my toes in the Indian Ocean...my guys would have loved to surf there. Next stop was a little village where we went to take a peep around the antique and curious stores - I could shopped lots in the antique stores but there was no more room in my case!

Lunch was taken down by the harbour front, at Kalky's, where everyone enjoyed a king size portion of Fish & Chips! The fish was divine - freshly caught and fried.


Fed and watered we headed to Boulders Bay to go see the penguins :D


Our days sight seeing came to an end as we arrived at our final destination of the tour - Spier Estate, near Stellenbosch. This hotel was filled with art - everywhere I looked I was inspired....its was difficult not to be as the art work was amazing.
We checked in to our rooms and then went off to explore our surroundings.


Situated directly adjacent to Spier was Moyo - an open air restaurant, which soon became my favourite hide out - again amazing art work everywhere the eye could see as well as being the best chill out area ever, with tree houses to dine in too.


The Prima classes I taught were greatly received - it was a little overwhelming teaching 120+ students in each class - but thanks to the wonderful class room assistants and Glenda's awesome organisational skills everything went like clockwork - no hiccups or mess ups and the delegates left each event happy :D


This trip was life changing - I feel so privileged to have been given the opportunity to fulfill one of my life long dreams and to have made so many wonderful new friends along the way ...the world just got smaller for all of us :D
I learnt so much on this trip - especially about myself - and life in general. I certainly had my eyes opened and saw things I never imagined I would see in my lifetime - it was the most overwhelming, emotional and inspiring journey and I am humbled by the sights and sounds I witnessed and shared.....


Image taken by Tami Indra


Image taken by Tami Indra


I can never thank my SA family enough for being there - sharing, caring and loving all the way.

And so - its over:(
My suitcase is packed away, my summer wardrobe no more - its freezing cold here today and I had to reach for a jumper!

Tomorrow sees me heading down along the Atlantic Highway to St Agnes, where I will be teaching a couple of Banana Frog classes at Scrap Angels (sold out) Frog Fest event :D



If you fancy getting your mitts on a set of Banana Frog Stamps leave me a comment and I'll pick a winner on Monday :D
Until then - thanks for popping by and have a great weekend.

T.x.