Happy New Year!

I couldn't find an appropriate image to post so I'll just say Peace, Health & Happiness to all my blogging friends!

These little tags.....

I can't believe how quick these little tags came together. Two colours and some Kraft. Luckily I found some ribbon and beads to match.

How many more sleeps??!!

Us humans aren't the only ones keen on the arrival of Santa.

How will you set your table?

I love setting the christmas table don't you? I try to have it set on christmas eve. Doesn't always happen but I like to take my time over it and print up some name tags. This is last years' table setting. I'd love some ideas on how you will set your table this year. Can you help me?

What a Brilliant Day!

I have the best sisters in the world! Yesterday my two gorgeous sisters and I went to Masterchef the show! What a day! We all love food so you can imagine. We stuffed our faces, had a laugh, made a few suggestions to a big supermarket chain on how to run their business, did a bit of networking and met with some incredibly lovely people. We came home broke, tired but happy. Some of our purchases included a 3kg christmas pudding (Val's) Chocolates (Sue's) and Olives and Dips (mine). Val definitely had the heaviest bag.

Cute little cards

I thought you might like to see just a few of the little gift cards I have been doing for Drift. Cute aren't they?

Is this really my house!

My dear hubby has been working his butt off in our new house. Laying down a new floor, painting the bedroom and stringing up christmas lights. Our new house is starting to be our home and I just love this new wall art from Trin's shop 'Drift'. It matches perfectly with out new timber floor. Now I have to convince hubby to start painting the lounge.

I think this area just lends itself to a christmas decoration.....but what??

I went on to make these

These little cupcakes were put into a box to be taken home by all the girls in our Artists Association. I thought they looked so cute!

I'm feeling a little flat....

So I made this....

Red Velvet Cupcakes with Vanilla Butter Cream Icing.

The reason I'm feeling this way is I have now finished my Commercial Cookery course. No more TAFE, no more homework, no more assignments. What am I going to do with my time??

Maybe I can find the time to more of this.

After I settle down a bit I hope to become a chef in a little cafe somewhere. Hopefully there's a happy little cafe out there just waiting for me to cook in it. Its been a hectic year but I've loved every minute of it. What with selling our home of 22 years, buying a new house, having a fantastic holiday with my girlfriends and still working part-time at my other job my poor art work and blog has been sadly neglected. Thanks everyone for sticking around I promise not to neglect you any longer.

Ahhhhhh... back to the challenges.

This month's challenge over at Inkurable Stampers is "Shabby Chic Christmas". I got to admit I had to google this one! Of course I know what shabby chic is but all I could conjure up in my mind was pink and green. So thats what I did.

My ATC was mounted on pink card stock. The background was from Webster Pages with sponging around the edges. I stamped the christmas tree (from Stampin Up's Lovely as a Tree) in pink pirouette tipped in wild wasabi and added a little sparkle. Not sure where the word JOY came from. Added a little silver charm and some velvet ric rac and a distressed pink star on top. All up I was pleased with the results. Anyone want to do a swap????

I'm a little rusty...What do you think??

It's been a while. The creative juices are seeping drip by drip into my poor parched soul! I love Christmas!!! Squeal!! What better time to get back into it with some gift tags. You have to forgive the photography.

I'm sorry!

Art work in Hoi An

Hoi An pancakes

Us Girls

Where we stayed

I'm so sorry I've been neglectful. Life is just getting in the way. In a good way of course. Even just thinking about what has been happening to me in the last few months is scary. Where to start......Firstly I've moved house, next comes my holiday to Vietnam and to throw into the chaos I'm still going to TAFE and now I have to do some work experience in several restaurants to gain some knowledge from working in the industry. How crazy does that sound! I'd like to share with you, just a few, some photo's from my fantastic holiday with 3 of my girlfriends to Vietnam. It was the best time ever! From the time we got picked up in the Limo (Julie's surprise) to the end. We stayed in a gorgeous place called Hoi An, did a cooking school, ate fantastic food, saw beautiful art and shopped! All in one week.

Just another little treat

Salmon and Prawn Timbale with a Champagne Sabayon

I won't bore you with the whole menu but I'll just show you one of the entrees and that will be it.

Or maybe you'd like chocolate!

This little decadent number is for my gluten free friends. No flour, yes thats right no flour but definately not weight watchers! Oh and it also has a chocolate sour cream icing.

Do you eat your desert first??

I know you all have been very patient with me so every now and then I'll give you a treat! Here's a little sample of what's been keeping me busy and away from my blog! I give you Steamed Pudding with Ginger Syrup and a Lemon Aspen Cream. This is part of my menu for the Preview Restaurant for next year. I'll let you have your desert first if your really really good. Thanks for looking! PS I'm happy to give out the recipe.

So much going on.

At the moment we are negotiating about selling our house. It's such a long and drawn out process to-ing and fro-ing about price. How do you put a price on 22 years of memories? After having a mini meltdown the other morning, I have realized that its the right thing to do and it's time for us to move on. Now its just a matter of getting rid of 22 years of accumulated crap! The photo I leave you with today isn't of my house, instead it's a photo of one of my very favorite places. It's where I escape too when things get too hard.

This boy/man

This man was born exactly 21 years ago. He's still my baby even though he likes to think he's a man. Happy Birthday Jordan! We love you!

The best laid plans...

You know I had great plans for posting more often during my break from TAFE but where did that time go?? Anyhoo here is my latest batch of cards for Trin. I'm just getting to know my new toy 'The Big Shot'. A special thanks goes out to my friend Karen for allowing me to use her cute bird punch.

It's time I came back

Hi everyone. I'm back. I can't make any excuses, just laziness. It's not that I haven't been active, just not active in a creative way. Some days life just gets in the way. I'm not complaining mind. My clever hubby loves to carve things. Of course with me doing the foody thing it was only a matter of time before he embraced the concept of cooking even if it isn't quite what I had in mind. Here are a couple of pictures of what he's been doing.

I know it.

Yeah I know it that I have been really really slack in posting on my blog. Sorry, I really am. Life just gets in the way doesn't it? I have been a tiny bit productive as you will see but I have to admit, this cooking course thing is just inhibiting my time and I'm not sure I like it! What am I saying? Of course I'm enjoying it! The trouble is, after a full day of thinking of nothing but food, food and more food, the old creative juices have evaporated, yes poof! evaporated! And then dear heart of mine expects me to come home and cook him dinner!!!!! Here are a couple of gift cards that I have done for Trin's shop. Don't forget they are only small.