Challenges for Scrapbook Boutique

I've been following the Scrapbook Boutique blog for a few months now. In fact it's been ever since I bought the fantastic Fashion Doll die set from them to do an online class at Scrap Time.

Scrapbook Boutique has a great challenge every month but this is the first month I've actually finished the challenge on time! This month the challenge was to use a bow or ribbon on a page. I've made 2 LOs using a bow I fashioned with staples!

The designs for these LOs are based on a formula called "Freaky Fast Pages" (don't you just love the alliteration!) created by Frances Sylvia for The Scrap Room.

China Doll aka me 1/4 of a lifetime ago!

I have been reading a fantastic book called "Snow Flower and the Secret Fan" by Lisa See. This has been the first book that our new online book club, hosted by Suzanne Dean at Color Me Creative has read together.

The book is about friendship and life lessons. It's set in China in the 1800s and has been a fascinating read. We were challenged to create a project inspired by the book in some way. And I knew straight away what I wanted to do.

Back when we were living in Hong Kong, I think around 2000, I went to Shenzhen (a Chinese industrial city just across the border from HK) with some of my students. Apparently it's quite a popular thing to do to go to Shenzhen and get some photos taken. We got our hair and makeup done and got to choose our outfits. The photographer was amazing - he only took one of each outfit/pose/hair do and all the photos turned out.

The sketch for this LO was created by Aphra Boyler from The Scrap Room!

So here I am as a China Doll

Want to win ... how about 1000 sheets of paper

Yep, you read right! Amy from "A Thousand sheets of Paper" has just that - 1000 sheets of paper to give away.

Want to see how you can win? Just click here

Meet Gryffindor

We have a new puppy. We are so in love with our new Golden Retriever. Conor decided on the name. His full name is Gryffindor Lyndock McCann. Gryffindor will be obvious to anyone who's read Harry Potter (it's the name of Harry's house at Hogwarts). Lyndock is the name of the ship that our convict ancestor travelled to Australia on back in the 1830s. And McCann is our surname.