Spring is Here!!

Spring is officially here on the 1st September in South Africa! So come and celebrate it with me!!
I am having a Spring party on my blog on the 7th September! I hope you will come!
You can take this little box if you want to post on your blog:

I know that for a lot of you, you are going into your winter...but regardless... I would still love it if you could participate! How it works is on the 7th -Friday I will host the Spring blog party from my blog. Then everyone who wants to participate can sign up here until Friday. Then on Friday all you do is post something spring related on your blog-a picture, a quote, something you made, whatever you fancy! Then leave a link here on the Spring post on Friday with your name, where you are from and your blog address so we can all go hip-hoppity around to each other's blog's to take a looksie! It's fun! If you have done one of these with Kari (aka Artsymama) then you'll know!






I had a little shopping spree the other day...went and got some new goodies for my room and bathroom and kitchen. Aren't these the cutest canisters??

A cute little tea towel
A new rose duvet to match my rose-crazed room! lol! Can't say hubby is too pleased!
Some pretty candles for my bathroom...

That's it! Whew what a long post!
So to recap: Spring Blog party HERE 7th September-don't forget!
Sign up here.
New free kit starting at the snap and scrap blog tomorrow
New Free challenge kit for completing our challenges at snap and scrap
New challenges starting tomorrow.

Bye!

what to blog about.....

I'm in such a blogging mood but i don't know what to blog about ! lol! although if I think really hard I am sure I can think of some things...
Firstly as you may or may not know (see a couple of posts below) I had a giveaway for the end of this month-a little book and a collage I did. To enter all that needs to be done was to leave 2 comments a week (worked out to about 7 comments until the end of this month) to go into the drawing...well it is sad but so far NOBODY qualifies. And the month is almost up. So I don't think that I will be giving it away just yet...The goal was to try to get more people to visit my blog and if they do visit to leave a comment. I love hearing from people -the comments make my day otherwise it is like having a conversation with yourself!
When I first started blogging, over a year ago now, I used to get TONS of comments-on every post. Not just when I gave out a freebie. Back then too, and we are only talking about a year ago...people used to leave a comment on my BLOG when they downloaded a freebie and sure, the comment to download ratio was still a whinge factor, but let me tell you, it was a lot better than what it is now! It is like people have got into this mode now days where they are either too lazy too comment-you know pressing that "Post a comment" box is strenuous! Or they don't know that you don't have to have a blog to make a comment, you can just select anon or other, or they go to the freebie hosting site..normally 4shared thinking they will leave their comment there and then download it and promptly forgetting,closing the box and forgetting about the blog. Whatever the deal is, any which way I find it hard to believe...just been to a blog this morning..saw she had close to 800 downloads and only 80 comments..hello like 720 non-commentators! And yes...It is my blog and If I want to moan about this, I will, as often as I like, I don't force anyone to come here and read it.... If you made it this far-congrat's! haha.

I was just wondering why the change in dynamics? Are people too busy too leave comments anymore? Is my blog boring and un-comment worthy? What is going on??
But then again..I think of the same people that left comments when I first started blogging and I see them still here every now and then...some are in my newsletter group and send me an email every now and then too...to you guys..who have stuck by me so long....THANK YOU.

Wednesday blog post over at snap and scrap blog, where I host it every Wednesday...yesterdays was about some little dress-envelopes I made...


Go can hop on over to there and download the little template for them.

The other thing I just thought of is that I am Challenge Leader over at snap and scrap-yip, got a promotion-LOL! I already host the Quote challenge there once a month, and we have a scrap lift, a sketch and now our COLOR Challenge will be going back into operation from the 1st September as well as three brand new exciting challenges coming then too....

Jot-it-down credits to make this flier:Christina Renee-Wildflower stamps, grungypiled high, purty buttons bonus paper, digitabs; RPenn-express yourself pen; Amy Cheeseman-writing rubs

Add-it-on credits : button:Christina Renee-purty buttons, DH-springmoments-paper, paperclip and alpha. Flower-Chaoslounge-Arabian Nights; Frame and neon doodles also by her; crocheted flower, teabag, tag, stamp all by me as well as bg paper.
and I dare you hosted by Jenni -aka chaoslounge
So come join us..it will be fun with so many challenges to choose from as well as a fabulous collaborative challenge prize kit for completing the challenges. The more challenges you do , more of the kit you'll get...
And now I have to get ready cos I am taking my kids to a concert this morning!
Toodle-loo!

Photos of weekend.

Just some photo's of flowers and fruit taken at my mom-in-law's garden yesterday.
Enjoy! Remember the name-this-kit contest...I might have already have decided on a name... still thinking about it..If I like It then I will post the winner tonight with a little add on for you..so be sure to check back here between tonight and the 21st!Thanks.

DIY! PHOTOS! FREEBIE

LOT'S TO SAY, LOT'S TO SHOW YOU, SO LITTLE TIME....



Hello sorry I am have been MIA for a while...but we have been doing some DIY stuff at home for the last 4 days. It was a long weekend here, so DH was at home Thursday. We painted out my son's room, which involved moving absolutely everything out for 4 day's.

He slept in my Daughter's bed with her for three nights and although the first night was quite exciting..."It's like sleeping in the caravan on holiday!" *squeals and giggles* I think by the third night he was feeling a bit like a nomad! Simultaneously, I began the work on my red wall in my room-I have had enough of that red wall and red bathroom...so it had to go....after all you can't achieve a pretty shabby chic look with wine red walls!! So in between doing my son's room, I did my accent wall in my room and my bathroom. I had washed down the walls with a solution of bleach and water as we a bit of mold growing and had scrapped the peeling paint off the ceiling during the week.
DH helped with the bits I couldn't reach and he did the first coat of white the ceiling and the walls for me. I did the rest.
Saturday and Sunday night we were fumigated out our own room and so took our mattress to the lounge and camped there for two nights! The kids thought all this change and camping all over the house was lot's of fun..and I must admit..so did I!! *almost made me want to grab a flashlight and a packet of marshmallows and make a tent and play hand shadows!!*

Sunday night was finishing off my sons room and putting everything back, and some new shelving up for him...he looks like the cat who had the cream!!! I must say, I think It looks stunning!!

I love my room too...what a difference a lick of paint does! I changed my curtains too..took down the red ones and put up some off white ones I had and chucked out all my red candles, amazing what a difference accessories make too.
BEFORE
NOW

Today was spent cleaning and I still have to paint out the bathroom with the color....but at least everything else is back to normal!!

So it's been no scrapping from me for a few days....but I must post these I did last week....various challenges...

This one was for ADSR challenge #8






you can see all the credits in my gallery HERE

Here are some recent photos I have taken:



Just some pretties of Flowers I bought today!






and before I go..my friend Landi was so kind to give me this award...
Thank you Landi..I am honored...I think I have to nominate 5 other ladies...I see so many of my favorite gals have already been touched with this....so hard, so hard...
I am choosing my sister, Jenni,
Sandy McTier
Karen
Clare
and then ConnyB
Each of these ladies have touched my life in their own way. Sandy you always take the time to leave me such kind comments, The same for Karen....I wish I visited you both more often and I promise to try! Clare-I just love her blog , her beautiful photos and lovely inspiring things she makes and blogs about. And Conny because she is so sweet, and always remains so positive and upbeat despite her illness which she so openly talks about. I don't know how she manages to blog almost everyday. Such an inspiration. There were/are so many more...and so many I would of chosen too, but they already had the award...(not that you 5 are second!!) I just wish I could name everyone I love to visit!!
That's it-whew what a long post!

Party time!! And Giveway

Thanks for hosting the party Kari.
I can't wait to see everybody's blog's and leave some love and see what they all get up to and learn a thing a two! I so love art in so many forms!
Today I thought I would share a tut on how to make a banner...I see in some mag's they call them buntting? But in South Africa , these are called Banners.
I got the inspiration for mine from a Country living magazine.
I made one for my daughter's room. I love these as you can hang them inside, or outside on a beautiful spring day on your patio or better yet, if you have a Gazebo. Then set up a pretty table under it and have a summer tea party! I can't wait to do this! I can see myself making lot's of these now in preparation for summer around the corner and inviting my girlfriends over for tea!

I couldn't find anywhere how to make these, so I just did my own design and am quite pleased with the result. I did this one for my daughter's room in a few hours on the weekend. I didn't buy anything for it, I had kept small scraps of material left over from previous projects which was ideal for this! I also always keep pieces of lace and ribbons and had a whole bag full that I could use.
So for this project you will need:

1x piece of ribbon 3m long.
scraps of fabric
paper for template
ruler, pencil, scissors, sewing machine
lace, ribbon.
pins.

Step 1:
First of all decide how big you want your triangle pieces to be. You can do this by taking a rectangle piece of paper (I used a A5 for mine, but you can use a A4 size too)and folding it in half. the open side facing to the right. The bottom will be the width, so see how wide you want it, remember to double the measurement as you will still open the paper up flat. Once you have a width measurement, mark it with your pencil and then decide on a legth for the triangle. Draw from the mark to the next mark a straight line using your ruler and pencil. Open it up and see if you are happy with that, if so, cut along the line you have drawn.
POINT: make the template according to your smallest or most common scrap size piece, then you know you have enough material.

Step 2.
Take your scrap material pieces, turn them to that the wrong side is facing up. Place your template triangle as close to the edge as possible and draw around it with pencil onto the fabric. Flip the template over and do the same thing, moving across the fabric. Try fit as many as you can on.

Step3:
Cut out your triangles.
Leave a long piece (about 30cm) on each side before you begin pinning so that you have ribbon to tie the banner up with).Get your ribbon and spread it out, now with the top width side of the triangle start pinning it to the ribbon -ribbon goes on top of the triangle to hide the raw edge. Arrange the next triangle next to the first one, so that the points are just touching. pin them all this way.

Step 4:
Now measure the length of your triangle and cut assorted ribbons and lace to use for the sides of the triangles, pin them to the triangles.

Step 5:
Sew them all!

Step 6:
trim off any excess threads and ribbons sticking out.
Step 7:
At this stage you can even add some small tassels, buttons etc.

If you want to follow mine exactly, here are the details:
-template of a A5 size paper folded in half.
-open flap side facing right-measure from closed side to open side at the bottom 7cm (2.8in)across. -mark in pencil.
-Along the closed side length measure up 16cm (6.3in)and mark.
-Draw a line from the 16cm mark diagonally to the 7cm mark.
-Cut template.
-open up.Should measure 14cm(5.5) across and 16cm length.(6.3in) (these are small triangles.)
-draw on the wrong side of your fabric the triangles using the template, flipping it ever alternate one to fit more triangles in.
I got 13 triangles out of my scraps. Follow the rest of the steps as above.

Here is the one I made:



Of course you don't have to use ribbon or lace for the edges, you could use pinking shears to cut the edges or over lock them. You can also tie on tassels, make a memory banner and stick on photo's to each triangle..there are so many possibilities with this! Well I hope you enjoyed this and thanks for stopping by! I would love to hear your thoughts!

I also thought since (I hope!) lot's will be blog hopping today, that this was a good opportunity to also host my giveaway. ENDS 30TH AUGUST 2007
This book-South Africa-a land of contrast. measures 4.2in x 5.7in
and is worth R50 or $7USD
And a Bonnie van Esch original art journal page

RULES FOR ENTERING:
1) you must leave a comment on this blog starting today until the 30th August at least twice a week. (a total of 8 comments) I am trying to get more people to visit my blog and simply to leave comments-I like visitors! In return I hope to post more often and with more interesting and arty things, not just digital scrapping.
2) at least on one of the comments please state you are entering for the draw, leave your NAME, AND EMAIL ADDRESS OR BLOG ADDRESS so I can contact you should your name be drawn.
3)All those by the end of the month that have left a minimum of 7 comments will be entered into the random draw for the prize.

Thanks!!
Bonnie