Monkeying around!!

Yes, that is a monkey.....which I made!!  Amazing huh?  ok...I'm amazed and very proud.  After years of yearning, I finally have my sewing machine!  Jorja and I worked at the Stitches and Craft show last month and I decided that this was a great place to shop for a machine.  Mich joined us at the show and she chaperoned Jorja and I as we did a split shift.  The show was so good that Mich and I had to go back on the Saturday to shop more!  We decided to make a magoo and bought fabric for him and more fat quarters just coz they were pretty!  The start of another addiction I fear!!! So, fast forward a few weeks....after an hour or so of deciphering the pattern instructions....Mich and I cut out our patterns and our fabric and started sewing.  It was lots of fun having some moral support and while Mich got her magoo finished that night, it took me a few days to find time to tackle the handsewing.  So, finally he's all finished and I must say...I'm really pleased with my sewing skills and my fabric selection coz he is such a funkeeee monkeee!!!  You'll have to go check out Mich's spotty monkey too....he is just divine!!!!! 
Also made these two little box baskets.  Very bright gorgeous fabric.  Actually used these fabrics for my lined zipper pouch which I made during Nicole Mallalieu's craft lab. And still had lots left over...so these two little box baskets were born and a pin cushion too.  Hehehe...like my scrapbooking pins???  
Ok...back to layouts!!!  Julia Matthews has just launched a brand new scrapbooking magazine.  Australian Scrapbooking and omg...this magazine is fantastic!!!  I got my copy yesterday and spent 2 hours engrossed in it.  The articles are sooo good and the other layouts fantastic.

Here are my contributions:

Travel layout with multiple photos and memorabilia - map of las vegas, lots of photos and numbered like you will find in some touristy maps.  Ultra simple layout, but very effective at capturing a whole heap of photos and journalling on a double layout.  I loved my time at Vegas....I want to go baaaack!!!! 

Another Travel themed layout with memorabilia and multiple photos.  aha...yes..another double layout!!!  This time of San Francisco...and the memorabilia include hotel room key :), airline ticket stubs, clothing tag from my Docker's jacket, postcard and the San Francisco trolley ride ticket.   San Francisco is just beautiful.....it was very cold while we were there...but beautiful....I want to go back there too and eat at the Pier.  Crab legs....yum!!!
And lastly.....a tribute layout....tribute to Ben 10...hehehe.  Jeromel is obsessed with Ben 10 and this obsession has been going on for about a year and a half now.  So he has lots of Ben 10 gear. He had even saved up some of the toy packaging...so that got rescued by me to be put on this layout to be immortalised.  hehehe  Ultra simple layout with lots of photos.  I love it when I manage to achieve 'simple'!!!
So that's it.  Truly....go out and grab Australian Scrapbooking!!!

I have been scrapping lately....the bug has bitten and I can get one or two layouts done a day when I have time.  And it all started with the gorgeous gorgeous Lily Bee Designs French Couture papers.  I swear....these papers are just sooo beautiful and I lusted after them!!  Lusted after them so badly that I ended up ordering them for Kiti Q.  The patterns and the die cut frames and borders are just soo gorgeous.  I did 4 layouts and 3 cards with the range!!!  Will be back to show these layouts soon.  As postage from the states is exxy and the $$ is ridiculous....I only got a small order in...so it won't last long in the shop.  Be quick if you want some!!!