Kuala Lumpur

DD and DGD under the Petronas Towers in Kuala Lumpur. We had a 15 hour stop over here, which was great for the wee one, because it meant both flights were overnight, where she slept right through.


We had her running around to burn up her energy and she had a ball.




















To get this photo, I'm lying on the ground!! These towers are just too tall to fit in a standard 6x4 portrait. They are very impressive. Just makes me wonder how tall the tower in Dubai will be when it's finished - it's already the tallest building in the world - and it isn't finished yet!
















Now to Cricut stuff. This was my Off The Page project at this month's club. The photographs aren't very good.

I remembered, about two hours before I left for the airport, that I would post these while I was away, so it was a very hurried job.

The photo's do not do the project any justice. I got my inspiration from various sites on the Net, but they had only decorated a slice. So, I decided to do the whole cake!!!

















I cut the slices from Tags, Bags, Boxes and More at 8" and it took nine slices to complete the cake on my cake stand.


I always set the girls a challenge at the club, and so this month I gave them all a slice of cake to decorate. I can't wait to see what they do with their slices. But, I'll have to wait for two months - no Cricut Club in October.


I will post the 12x12 layouts and cards over the next few days. So, don't miss them.

Thanks for dropping in

Love Jane

First Photo's

My first photo of DGD #2 - Erin.

She has a full head of hair, dark like her Granny. Mummy and Daddy are blonde, so she may change. But for now she's dark. Isn't she gorgeous. Have had lots of cuddles, and will be spending as much time with her as I can while I'm here.















This is DS with his daughter. DDIL wouldn't have her photo taken until she is feeling a bit better, can sympathise with that. So photo's of Mummy to follow.

And of course first photo's with Granny, see the resemblance? She is so tiny and perfect.

As you've probably realised, we arrived safely in Scotland, after a gruelling journey, via Kuala Lumpur and Amsterdam, more about that later. DGD #1 was great on the journey, she slept most of the way, as the flights were overnight. We spent 15 hours in Kuala Lumpur, went to visit the Petronas Towers, and had quite an adventure, photo's to follow.

I have gained internet access (obviously!!!), which doesn't involve my Dad's phone bill (thank goodness), but boy, is it slow, slow, slow. Took me nearly half an hour just to upload three photo's to my blog!!!!

Maybe I'm just too used to high speed broadband at home. But, I'm thankful I will be able to post while on holiday.

So, lots of photo's to come and also the projects from this months Cricut Club, which the girls have asked me to post while I'm away - no Cricut Club in October - Didn't realise I would be missed that much.

So, will be posting them over the next couple of weeks - stay tuned...

Thanks for dropping by

Love Jane

Last Post

Evening everybody,


This is my last post from Australia - we fly out for Scotland in approximately five hours.

I will be posting while I'm in Scotland, however, they might be a bit sporadic - bear with me.

Back to normal in about a month - urgent need of R&R.

Thanks for visiting.

'Talk' again soon

Love Jane

It's aGirl!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I have a new Granddaughter - Erin Hannah Marshall - born at 1038pm UK time - 18th September.


Mother and baby doing well - Daddy on cloud nine.


Have been up most of the night (we're 7 hours ahead of UK) waiting for phone calls and updates, very difficult being so far away - just want to give my boy a big hug and snuggle his child - never mind will see them on Tuesday - so excited......


Just waiting for first photo's


Love Jane

Six Cards

1 sentiment, 1 sheet of paper - six cards.


I wondered how many cards I could stretch one sheet of paper to, and was amazed when I got six cards from it - I had thought maybe five at a stretch. Quite economical this card making stuff, when you want it to be - they aren't too fussy! LOL















I wish I could send these cards out to you all, but I don't know your snail mails, so if you visit, claim one for yourself - Thank you for continuing to visit and your lovely comments.

Sorry about the colour in the last photo, not natural light as you can tell, took these tonight as I wanted to get them on the blog, and as I have Cricut Club tomorrow, will be too busy, and Friday will be hectic - leave for Scotland on Sunday.....

I will leave with this note - second grandbaby will be born tomorrow. DS partner has pre-eclampsia - now as a nurse I know how very serious this can be - however, the doctors are happy that they have discovered it early and are not overly concerned at this stage, however, she has been kept in hospital as of today and will be induced tomorrow Thursday 18th (UK). I'm already in tomorrow in Australia - aren't time zones confusing sometimes....

DS is on his way home as we speak - he is in the (British) Royal Navy, serving in the Gulf. There was always the fear he wouldn't make it home in time for baby's birth - his paternity leave was due to start on Friday, getting him home on Saturday for baby's due date Sunday 21st - but baby's never arrive when they're supposed to...

So, thumbs up to the Royal Navy, they are flying him home in time. Doesn't your heart just burst with pride sometimes....

Thanks for dropping in

Love Jane

Edit to post - why does blogger sometimes let you seperate your paragraphs and other times it won't. I had spaces between my paragraphs when composing this post, yet when I publish it, it all scrunches up, making it very difficult to read - anyone know the answer???? a very confused Scossie xx

Vintage Mum

As you've probably guessed, I'm not doing much crafting just now, as I'm off to Scotland in a week and have so much to organize with my family research - need to know exactly what I'm looking for when I go to Edinburgh, where they keep the Scottish records.


You have to book your spot, and pay for it of course. So I don't want to spend that precious time just scrolling through records - I need to have my direction clearly focused...


Plus, Edinburgh is on the other side of Scotland from where I live, so my girlfriend and I are going to spend a couple of days there, so my time is precious.





















The other focus will be to spend some time at the cemeteries, looking up the old relatives. You can get lots of dates and stuff from old headstones...DH says I'm weird.


Quite appropriate for the time of year I thought. Good job he's not coming home with me.


DD, DGD and myself are going, the husbands have to stay in Australia due to work commitments. A month is too long for them to be off of work.

This is a layout of Mum, when she was about three, with her older brother. Photo taken in 1940.

There is some dry embossing on the brown c/s, though doesn't show very well in the photo.

I love the metal dragonflies - matched well with the patterned vellum I used for the journaling.

I'm thinking now, when I look at the layout on the screen, that I should have inked the flowers a wee bit. They look too 'clean' on the page. Nae mind, I like it.

Thanks for dropping by

Love Jane

Big Girl Bed

Just had to post these photo's of DGD - so adorable.


She is growing up way too fast. She is now out of the cot and into a 'Big Girl Bed'.


One of those cots that converts into a little child's bed, and boy was she excited.

And Granny got to read her a bedtime story.

Another precious moment in the life of a little girl.

I love being a Granny....

Love Jane

Wee Mouse

Good morning all, from sunny Perth, WA. Summer is on its way - at last.


It's been a very wet winter this year, not so cold, but record rainfall. Well, we do really need it. Gearing up for hot, hot, hot.


Well, it will be when I return from Scotland - I do believe it will be a little (LITTLE!!!!) bit colder there. I don't think I could survive a full Scottish winter. I am so acclimatised to Australian heat now. Love it.


Anyway - to my little card. This wee House Mouse (isn't he adorable) is skipping his way to a very good blogging friend, who always makes me smile xx

I have used Basic Grey papers and stamped the wee mouse onto what looks like biscuits (too cute). They're obviously chipboard.


Would love to get those gorgeous nestabilities for the Cuttlebug, but have been unable to source them in Oz.


Should be able to get them over in Scotland, so if anybody knows where I can get them while I'm home I would be grateful for the info.


I will be visiting Glasgow, Edinburgh, Ayr and Dumfries while I am there (family research), so if you know a store that sells them in those areas, please let me know before I go.


Still looking into internet access on my laptop while I am there - all too confusing for a techy novice - don't want to run up my Dad's phone bill - he would have a freak (dinosaur) - love him dearly!!


I can't imagine not being able to blog hop and post for a whole month - and I would miss you all too much - HELP!!!!


Love Jane

First Vote

Here's my next BRAK card - using Melissa Frances papers.

I'm enjoying making these little cards, it's fun pulling all my bits and bobs out, flowers, buttons, ribbons, etc. and working on such a small scale.

If you want to be part of Jen's BRAK visit http://www.expressivelyme.blogspot.com/ and join up, way cool!!

Well, I'm off to vote today - nothing amazing in that you may think - but, it will be my first vote in Australia, a state (WA) election. DH and I became Australian citizens back in February. It's compulsory to vote in Australia - if you don't vote, you get fined!!

Same happened to DSIL, who is Australian. He was in Scotland for two years, where he and DD married. When they returned to Australia, DSILs driving licence had been suspended. He hadn't voted (obviously, he wasn't in the country), hadn't paid the fines imposed, so they suspended his driving licence!!

Fortunately, he was able to prove, with his passport, that he hadn't been in the country during those elections, and his suspension was lifted.

So, I'm off to vote, don't want to be fined!!!

Love Jane

TWIT TWOO

Another Cricut layout, just love this owl from the Happily Ever After cartridge, he's just too cute, and don't you just love those eyelashes!!! LOL


This is one of those rare photographs of DGD looking at the camera, and she was actually posing!


Something to do with the sunglasses me thinks. She also stopped smiling? Very strange phenomenon. She is normally a giggly little girl, but she actually took on a more serious persona as soon as she put the sunnies on. Very strange. She wasn't even two at the time.


Cool photo though, and the title's really original too, don't you think!!??!!




A rare photo of me with glasses on too, still getting used to them.

"Age doesn't come itself", so they say. Boy are they right!


Thanks for dropping in



Love Jane

Friend

A layout today of my friend back home in Scotland (who I'll see again in three weeks!! Yay!!!).

I haven't been home for two years, the difficult part of emigrating to a far away land. Looking forward to spending a whole month with family and friends. Along with family research I have to do...


Most of this layout has been done with my Cricut - the title, wee envelope, flourishes, picture frame and the scalloped border.

I have used Dimensional Magic on the larger flourish, I love the beautiful shine it gives to an embellishment.

Thanks for dropping by, love to read your comments.

Love Jane

BLUE

What do you think of the title? Really original, huh!!

This is Blue Bunny. He is actually mine, an Easter present from DH back in 2001. Well, DGD has fallen in love with him, and drags him around the house by his ears!

He is nearly the same size as her, and a few months ago he was the same size, but, as nature intended, she is growing way fast, but still struggles to carry him.

It is way too cute watching her struggle along with him in tow - happy memories to look back on.




I have used Teresa Collins Journal-It Tags and Bazzill c/s to create the little concertina book, that is a great show case for lots of photo's on one page.

Thanks for dropping by.

Love Jane

1972

Hello everybody, thanks for stopping by. I have a layout of my Mum today from a photo taken in 1972.

I have used Heidi Swapp papers - the pink paper came with a perforated addition that contained the three little frames on the page, an excellent idea I thought, and the bird and photo mat were cut from a second sheet of houndstooth pattern, love it.

That's a rub on, on the letter M and a wee bit of masking to stamp on the rectangular frame, was quite happy with the way they came out, need to try that again LOL!!


Mum made the dress she is wearing, very '70s. She was an excellent dressmaker, made most of her own clothes, mine too, during the 60s and 70s. At one stage she even made identical outfits for us - mother and daughter - but that's another story. After all it was the 70's - way cool!!


I remember a story from my childhood, one day when Dad came home from work, he was amazed to find 'Mum' riding a bike - what in heaven's name is Martha doing on Jane's bike? I can just imagine his expression!!

Of course, it wasn't Mum, it was me. But how was Dad to tell, I had on an identical outfit to one of Mum's, and how's a man to know!!LOL


Will need to do a page of us from back then, and you will see how identical we were, down to hair length and colour.


Miss you Mum.













Have you noticed my new award on the left of page. From my beautiful blogging friend Curt in USA. I have been visiting his blog since he started his journey in blog land and he has been a regular visitor of mine.


I am just so happy that I inspire anybody, and if you have a look at his site, and some of the beautiful cards he makes, I am very honoured to receive this award from him. Thank you Curt xx Link to his site also on left of page.


All for now
Love Jane

3rd BRAK

3rd, and last for now BRAK. I know - they're all pretty similar, but as these are my first, and they're going out to ladies I don't actually know, I wanted to keep things pretty simple, will endeavour to be more adventurous with the next batch - watch this space!! LOL

In saying that, I have made up a pretty cool verse for the inside of the cards, but you'll have to join Jen's BRAK and have a card sent from me to read it, hee hee!!

Will return to scrapbook pages next posting.

See you on your blog soon

Love Jane

Another BRAK

Another card winging its way across the oceans - to the USA no less - as part of Jen's Birthday RAK.

Having fun making these cards, using up lots of stash, and they're so quick to put together, not like a 12x12 page at all - don't need to try and match photo's to paper etc!!

Well, Cricut Club is over for another month. Excellent turn out this month, at both sessions, and a good time had by all. I took some photo's of the afternoon group, and if they've turned out OK will post a couple later.

Having a quiet day at home today, working the Friday Frenzy tonight, 6pm to MN. So, will try and do a little scrapping to pass the time. Hope you have a good day too, thanks for looking.

Love Jane

Birthday RAK

This is my first card for Jen's Birthday RAK, and it is currently winging its way to Canada!!

This brilliant idea is the brainchild of Jen from Hawaii - visit her blog at www.expressivelyme.blogspot.com for all the details.

When you become a member of the Birthday RAK Club, you are given access to the calendar of birthdays of the members, and then you send them a birthday card - easy. There are two on the way to the USA as well, how exciting (will post them over the next couple of days).

I don't really have time to enter all the brilliant challenges set down on the different blogs, though I would really love to. So, I thought this would be an excellent way to participate in something!!

I'm really getting into this card making, but, boy is it taking time away from my scrapbooking, where is the happy medium I wonder?

And Cricut Club has come around again, are the months getting shorter??

Thanks for popping by.

Love Jane

TWO Today!!

WOW - We have had the most fantastic day - DGD is now 2.

After a mammoth present opening session, which she really got excited with, we went swimming - which she really loves.

She attends swimming lessons weekly. Not really swimming lessons, more building confidence in the water (yep, they start them young in Australia. Well, we do live in the pool in this country. If we're not in the pool, we're at the beach!!). And Mummy wanted to show us how well DGD has been doing at her lessons. So we had a cool day at the pool.

Then it was home for an afternoon nap, lots of photo's, birthday cake and some games and balloons and stuff.

DGD finally got to bed at 8pm!!!! She's usually in bed at 6.30pm. But, she was one happy little girl.

Thanks for dropping by.

Love Jane

Great Grandparents

This is a layout of my Great Grandparents (my Mother's Fathers parents). Nothing overly fussy, but I felt that it conveyed the age past quite well.


Sadly, long before I was born, Great Grandfather died at the age of 40, by accidental drowning.


He was involved in the construction of the pier in my home town, in 1916, (I come from a wee seaside town on the West coast of Scotland), and was trying to save somebody who had fallen into the sea.


Tragically, he was to lose his own life. Now, this has been common knowledge in the family for years (obviously), however, I don't know if the person he was trying to save survived.


I am going home to Scotland in a few weeks, and amongst the research I intend to do, I will have to endeavour to find out this missing piece of information.


I am sure it would have made the local paper of the time, interesting to know. Will let you know how I get on with that one later.


Great Grandmother lived to the ripe age of 72.


After Great Grandfathers death, he was entered into the Carnegie Roll of Heroes and Great Grandmother received a framed certificate of this honour, would love to know what has happened to that, what a treasured thing to be able to see. And, because of GG's heroic act, GGM was to receive a monthly sum from the Carnegie Fund, until her youngest child attained the age of 16.


A great help in those days, before the introduction of the welfare system - no work, no money, no food - hard times indeed.


My Grandfather was the third of four children, his younger sister was one at the time, so GGM would have been hard pressed to bring up the four without the help of her husband, considering the times. She did a wonderful job, as the generations after her are testament to that.


With that I will off to bed now. Work in the morning. Take care all.


Love Jane

Addit to post

I had already published this post when I noticed the date - 12th August - the date GG died, 92 years ago today. Not intentional I assure you........

WINNERS!!!

Hi everybody, feels strange to be back, have had a week off from blogging while my candy was running.


Well, I had 23 comments, thank you all so much, I do appreciate your visits and comments, they make all this blogging stuff worthwhile.


There were actually 24 commenters, but one was my DD (Debz) bless her. So, I didn't put her name in the draw. Knowing my luck, it would have come out and you would have all thought it was a fix!!!!! LOL


DGD was given the honours of pulling out the winners, which she did beautifully. However, when I tried to photograph her holding the winners names, she decided she didn't want to play anymore. And, there's no way in the world to convince a nearly two year old to do something
she doesn't want to!!


So, anyway, we have two winners - 1st was Chris at www.artsycrafty08.blogspot.com Congratulations Chris, enjoy.

2nd was Christine at www.creativejourney.typepad.com Congratulations Christine.


I wish I could send candy to all of you. Each and every one of you inspire me daily. I look forward to visiting your blogs on my web travels. Thank you again for taking part.


Love Jane