Get Ready for This...

it's gonna be a loooonnng post!

I don't even know where to begin!

Well, I guess the most important thing and the thing I want to mention first, is that my little brother graduated from highschool last night! I was so honoured to have been at the ceremony, to see my brother receive his graduant sash and 3 academic achievement awards, to see him looking oh so spunky and very proud, and to see him in the company of his wonderful friends. I had a tear or two in my eyes last night... I was the proudest big sister in the world!

It was pretty hard to get a good photo, but I got a couple of good ones...

Luke getting one of his awards;














Luke with his girlfriends;













Me and Luke;


















The principal made a very touching speech to the graduating class. There was one thing in particular that he said that really hit home for me. He said, "Be everything you can be". I know that my brother, Luke, will be everything he dreams to be... and probably lots lots more!

To mark this special occassion, I made Luke a card. Here it is;


















For me personally, another exciting thing to have happened is my being named as a wildcard in the Finals for The Scrapper of Oz comp at Scrapz.Biz! I was giggly like a school girl when I found the registered post slip in my letterbox a couple of weeks back... Heike had sent the packages without naming who the two lucky wildcards were, so I had no idea until the postie visited. The due date for the Finals was Sunday night. We had an awesome kit to work with that included a wooden plaque, an array of patterned papers, and heaps of embellishments. Our challenge was to create a gift and card set suitable to welcome Dorothy home from the land of Oz... the catch... we had to use a bit of EVERYTHING in the kit! I decided to make a blackboard and card, but because I had so much extras left over, I also decided to make a few extra bits and pieces to accompany my 'gift' just for fun.

The blackboard;































It's co-ordinating chalk box;














The card;


















And inside;














A gift tag;


















A 'belly band' to wrap around the gift;














And the gift all pretty and wrapped (using the plastic bag the kit had come in!!!);


















I do not envy Heike and the DT having to judge this final round! Each of the 8 entries are simply incredible, each in their own way. It is amazing how we all created such different projects despite having the same products to work with.

Umm... what else? I've made a couple of cards this week. One just cos, and the other as an entry for the Ticklez kit competition held each month at Scrapz.Biz;


























Last but not least, my adorable little Oliver is now smiling on cue, and had his first real belly laugh yesterday! He is just the cutest!







































Congrats if you have made it to the end of this reeeaalllly long post! I did warn you!

Be back soon with some festive stuff.

xxx