It was one of those 'my pants are falling down' days...

Not today....this was last week, but I'm only just catching up on a few things

Early last week, in the middle of the night, while BFing Thumper in a stuporous state, I remembered that it was the last week my kids would spend in school with their current teachers this year, so I needed to get my act together and make five thank you cards (two class teachers each, and one for the piano teacher), and find some gifts! SUPER….my sleep after that was really restful..NOT!

So the next morning after school drop off for Miss 7, I hightailed it to Pepe's Paperie to search out some papery gifts for them (I'd done a quick online search in the middle of the night….and thought they'd have something appropriate).

I walked around the shop in a total state of confusion….

Issue 1: I did not have enough change to put in the parking meter, and it didn't seem to register the 5 cent coins I was feeding in, so I only had 12 minutes to shop…FINE.

Issue 2: I had Thumper in our old Baby Bjorn (which hurts my back at the best of times), and he was desperately trying to go to sleep and crying outrageously while doing it…GREAT, I can do this!

Issue 3: Master 5 was asking me a ZILLION questions about why this, why that, how this, how that, where this, where that…SUPER, this is hard but surely not impossible?!

Issue 4: MY PANTS WERE FALLING DOWN!!!!!!!!!!! I've lost about 10 kgs since pre-pregnancy and I'd forgotten that those particular pants were now dangerously loose (while I was charging around trying to get ready to get out of the house on time that morning)…AWESOME…this is seriously distracting me.

Issue 5: I was tired, I am tired, It feels like I will always be tired….WHAT WAS I SAYING?

Anyhoo, I finally managed to find some gifts (approximately 10 minutes after entering the shop), then tried to pay and the credit card machine came back with a FATAL ERROR!!!!! WT? WHY ME? WHY WAS THIS HAPPENING TO ME? After some technical do-hickey-business behind the counter they had it all sorted and I was on my way. I caught a small break that day, because I did not get a parking fine!

I got in the car….unwound my head through 360 degrees, and drove off. Mission complete...

Here is a pic of the gifts I picked up:

They got a small notebook and a magnetic organiser thingumy (for their fridge) each. The individual sections of the organiser thingumy are perforated so they can be removed when required. These useful gifts were received with much enthusiasm...so I was very happy!

I could barely organise my way out of my paperbag last week...let alone design and make five teacher thank you cards...so I resorted to a CASE. The card I chose was in my Google Reader as part of the Papertrey Ink April Release Countdown and is this beauty by Melissa Bickford. Thanks for the help Melissa!

Here are my cards (almost identical to Melissa's...but not quite):

List of Ingredients:

Cardstock: Pumpkin Pie and Whisper White (SU)
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black (Tsukineko)
Stamps: Flower Fusion #1 (PTI) and Think Big Favorites 2 (PTI)
Accessories: Flower Fusion #1 and #2 Dies, Beautiful Blooms II # 3 Die Collection (PTI), Scallop Edge Punch (SU),  Summer Sunrise Topnotch Twill Ribbon, 2008 & 2009 Bitty Dot Basics Paper (PTI), Basic Pearl Jewels (SU), Dimensionals (SU), Sticky Strip (SU) and Scrapbook Adhesive MyStik (Scrapbook Boutique).

This is the first time I have ever used my sewing machine on any of my cards...and I am WAY pleased with how it turned out. It was so easy to do too! A very pleasant surprise....I thought it'd be really tricksy and messy.

On another note...yesterday I went shopping for a new baby carrier, and came home with the AWESOME Baby Bjorn Comfort Carrier. It has an adjustable ergonomic waist belt and shoulder straps for 'optimal weight distribution and pressure point relief'. I walked down to our local shops and back (a 2 km round trip) with Thumper in the carrier yesterday…and it didn't hurt a bit (and he was so comfy he went to sleep - after getting all his burps out by himself, just by virtue of being upright)…talk about pressure point relief! Yeah for Baby Bjorn!! It wasn't cheap, but David Jones was having a special, so it was a bit cheaper than normal, and worth every penny in my opinion.

Seeeeeee ya later alligatas :o)

(Blogged to: Evil Woman - Electric Light Orchestra, We Are Golden - MIKA and When Doves Cry - Prince & The Revolution).

One of the cards that John West rejected...

I can't put my finger on what it is about this card that I don't like...but the fact remains, I don't like it! It was one of those cards that sat around on my desk, half finished, for about four weeks. I literally had to blow the dust off it when I finally decided to finish it up (because it was getting in my way). I ended up making Master Five another card...so this one is still sitting around mocking me. In an effort to move it along, I've photographed it, and now it can go in my card box...hooray!

List of Ingredients:
Cardstock: Early Expresso, Whisper White, Pacific Point, Baja Breeze, Yoyo Yellow (textured) and Only Orange (all SU)
Ink: Basic Brown Classic Ink (SU)
Stamps:
Punches: 1 1/4" Square Punch (sails and fish tails), Small Oval Punch (fish), Two-step Owl Punch (seagulls and sail number), Scallop Edge Punch (foamy waves) and Jewellery Tag
Accessories: Early Expresso Taffeta Ribbon (SU), White Gel Pen (misc), Cloud 1 & 2 Die Collection (PTI), Limitless Layers: 1 3/4" Circle Collection (PTI), Creative Memories Brown Sticky Lettering, Scallops and Circles Impressions Plate (Taylored Expressions), Vintage Cream Pure Wool Felt (PTI), Orange and Yellow Felt (Felt on the Fly - Etsy), Scrapbbok Adhesives MyStik (Scrapbook Boutique), Mini Glue Dots (SU) and Dimensionals (SU).

Thanks to everyone that replied to my last post, where I asked for thoughts on what crafting things to take on our trip. I am sorely tempted by the 'take no papercraft stuff at all' argument, simply because it is by far the easiest option...but I just know I will get to some point where I will NEED a hit (even if it is only an itsy bitsy one)...

Found out yesterday that I need to get more skin cancer surgically removed from my face before we go. Can't say I danced out of the skin specialist's office after that announcement, and have been feeling pretty flat since. I know its minor stuff in the scheme of things, but I already look like I have a bit of street fighting or bar room brawling in my history, with several scars on my chin, forehead and corner of my eye from previous Basal Cell Carcinoma (BCC) removals, and I am a bit over it! But enough of the whinging... ;-).

Thanks for visiting,

(Blogged to: Decode - Paramore, Addicted to Love - Robert Palmer and Rock That Body - Black Eyed Peas).

Some packing up Blog Candy...

I mentioned in a recent post that we were about to depart on an exciting adventure. We now have about three weeks left to pack up the house and move ourselves on to Lucey Blue. I have been slowly tidying stuff away, and while I was sorting out some craft things I made a small pile of things to giveaway as blog candy.

Here is what I have come up with...

This blog candy contains:

• 1 x new, unmounted, Polka Dot Punches stamp set by Stampin' Up! This set was a SAB stamp set from a few years back
• Three beautiful rolls of Mark's Coffret du couturier floral Washi Tape in purples and mauves...check it out here on Etsy
• 1 x roll of Plum Pudding Luxe Satin Ribbon by Papertrey Ink (5 yards)....see it here
• 4 x tags decorated with Washi Tape...made by me using Papertrey Ink's Tag Sale #2 die, and assorted Washi Tapes.

All you need to do in order to be in the running for this blog candy is leave me a comment answering the following question:

If you were about to set off on a small yacht with your family for eight months, and you wanted to take along a few papercrafting things just to satisfy the occasional urge to create a card...what would you take? I have been contemplating this question for a while now, and am no closer to answering it than I was when I first started thinking about it. For the purpose of this discussion, lets assume you have storage space equivalent to a large parcel post box (about the size of Stampin' Up! largest parcel post box)...or about the size of a large microwave oven (the entire unit...not just the cooking cavity).

A few details:

• This blog candy is open to anyone
• In order to be eligible for the blog candy just answer the question above by leaving a comment on this post
• The cut-off for leaving your comment is 7 pm, Australian Eastern Standard Time on Thursday 28th April, 2011
• The blog candy winner will be drawn using Random.org on Friday 29th April
• Please make sure I have some way of getting in touch with you
• If the winning person is one of my blog 'Followers' ...there might be an extra roll of Washi Tape in it for them too ;-).

When I was chatting with my husband about this, and lamenting the fact that one of my favourite things was my Cuttlebug and that it was probably too big to take...he commented that it was not really much bigger than a pair of shoes...and as I am not a shoe person at all (I'll be making do with a pair of sandals and a pair of runners only)...I'm good to take it along with me!

Anyway, I am very interested to read what other people would take. Just a small selection of coloured ink and card...or maybe a whole set of Stampin' Up! ink spots? PTI stamp sets or SU unmounted stamp sets because they take up hardly any room? Pre-cut cardstock, die shapes etc...to reduce volume? Stuff just for one type of card (ie. punchart, or watercolouring goodies)? So many alternatives!

Thanks for your thoughts!

Another recent hatching...

Friends of ours in Sydney welcomed their first child, an adorable baby boy, on Friday. I was sitting, contemplating what card to make last night and had my 'Big Bird in purple dinosaur egg' card out on the table in front of me. While I was looking at him I had, what I consider, a bit of a light-bulb moment! I hope that what I consider a light-bulb moment, is not actually a delirious episode. What do you think?

List of Ingredients:

Cardstock: Pacific Point, Baja Breeze, Whisper White, Chocolate Chip, Blush Blossom and Real Red (SU)
Ink: Basic Brown and Pacific Point Classic Ink (SU)
Stamps: Way to Go Kiddo (PTI)
Accessories: 1 1/4" Circle Punch (SU), Two-Step Owl Punch (SU), Modern Label (SU), Die-namics Flower Silhouette (MFT), Textured Impressions Embossing Folder (SU), Spellbinders Nestabilities Oval Dies (Bizzy Becs), Beautiful Blooms II #3 Die Collection (PTI), Large Brads (SU), Tangerine Twisted Paper Cord (Annabelle Stamps), Orange Zest - 2009 Bitty Dots Basics Paper (PTI), Basic Black Marker (SU), MyStik (Scrapbook Adhesives) and Mini Glue Dots (SU).

I think the baby looks slightly Southpark-ish...but still pretty cute. As I mentioned in the previous post, I had to cut a little piece off the bottom of the back, Pacific Point, layer...in order to get the card to stand up.

The colour combo was inspired by the gift that we have bought for our friends. This gift is currently winging its way across the Pacific, and should arrive here in a week or so. Let me introduce you to Squiddy Big  Head (I like to call him Mr Squiddy, and I hope that I am going to be able to part with him once he has arrived here :-)...

These images, and the amazingly beautiful crocheted Mr Squiddy, are by Angela Davidson of 'Handmade by Angela' on Etsy. Her crocheted creations are simply awe inspiring (and it is beautiful works of art like this that have made me want to learn to crochet so badly). Thanks so much Angela!

I wanted this to be an extra special gift as this friend is someone hubby went to school with and also sailed 12ft skiffs with on Sydney Harbour for many years. They have both spent lots of time on boats and on the water, so I thought the Mr Squiddy was an appropriate gift (plus I think he is very, very cute...with those big sleepy eyes and bright lips).

I am preparing a little blog candy here...so pop back soon if you want to enter. There might be some delicious Washi Tape involved ;-).

Hope you are enjoying a relaxing Sunday!

(Blogged to: Sweet Home Alabama - Lynyrd Skynyrd, China Girl - David Bowie and Holy Grail - Hunters & Collectors).

JAI Challenge #64 - Chocolate Wrapper Colour Combo MKII

I am being a naughty mummy. I should be packing the house...but while I was feeding during the night I dreamed up another card I wanted to make for the Just Add Ink Challenge this week. My hips are  pleased to say that I do not have any of the inspirational chocolate on hand this time! Can you guess which chocolate wrapper inspired this card?

 

It was this little beauty...

I got the creme egg image from this blog...which quite happily has a lovely looking recipe for mock creme eggs (thanks Carol)! What a lucky find!! I am very proud of myself though. I have not bought a single creme egg (yet) this Easter. There is still plenty of time for that eh ;-).

List of Ingredients:

Cardstock: Elegant Eggplant, Real Red, Yoyo Yellow (textured), Whisper White, Basic Black and Only Orange (all SU)

Ink: Elegant Eggplant Classic Ink (SU) and Tuxedo Black Memento (Tsukineko)

Stamps: Bunny Hugs (SU)

Punches: Modern Label, Scallop Circle, Scallop Oval, Small Oval and Two-step Owl (all SU)

Accessories: Spellbinders Nestabilities Oval Dies (Bizzy Becs), Beautiful Blooms II #3 Die Collection (PTI), Large Brads (SU), Real Red Taffeta Ribbon (SU), White Gel Pen (misc), Tiny Bubbles Cuttlebug Folder (Bizzy Becs), Basic Black Marker (SU), Tombow Mono Adhesive (Penwa) and Mini Glue Dots (SU).

You can see that I have trimmed a little off the bottom of the back Elegant Eggplant layer. This was to help make the card stand up. Without it, it just kept rolling over. I had the CB Tiny Bubbles folder in my mind after seeing Bronwyn's scrummy Aero card here. Thanks for the inspiration Bronwyn. Who else thinks my wee Easter chick looks like Big Bird in a dinosaur egg? Just something that flashed through my mind as I was taking the pics.

Now I really must go get some boxes underway. The scale of the task is pretty daunting. I think I am just going to think about one room at a time...otherwise I might quickly end up down the shops in the Easter egg aisle, shopping for some comfort food!

Have a wonderful weekend.

(Blogged to: Better Off Alone - Alice Deejay, Sounds of Then - GANGgajang and Only Girl - Rihanna).

JAI Challenge #64 - CHOCOLATE....

This week's Just Add Ink challenge header said more than just 'CHOCOLATE' I think...but I'm easily distracted (especially when it comes to things with a cocoa base)!

Actually, the challenge this week is to "make a paper craft project inspired by your favourite chocolate bar wrapper".

I had one big problem to get over right away! The words 'a' and 'wrapper' were of particular concern to me. Did it mean that in polite society a girl should only have one favourite chocolate? What about if a girl had many? What about if the girl didn't agree with the Webster's Online Dictionary definition of favourite which states in part: 'one preferred above all others'? Did that mean the girl shouldn't take-part in the challenge? I guess that girl could always go out and buy lots of chocolate and re-evaluate her stance on the matter...couldn't she? It would be an effective way to overcome the problem, surely.

She didn't...go out and buy lots of chocolate that is, but it was fun thinking about it. Instead, the girl chose her current favourite. The one that was sitting on her craft desk (in large quantities), due to it being required for an Easter project for Miss 7's classmates (and the girl having over-estimated how much was required...Oooooops ;-).

Talking about yourself in the third person is supposed to be a sign of madness isn't it? Oh well....I am sure mad people eat chocolate too, so its all good.

Here is the card I made...can you guess what chocolate was on my desk?

How about now...?

YUMMY!

List of Ingredients:

Cardstock: Whisper White and Elegant Eggplant (SU)
Ink: Tuxedo Black Memento (Tsukineko)
Stamps: Think Big Favorites #2 (PTI)
Accessories: 2008 and 2009 Bitty Dot Basics (PTI), Basic Pearl Jewels (SU), Flower Fusion #1 Die (PTI), Flower Fusion #2 Die (PTI), Beautiful Blooms II #3 Die Collection Set (PTI), Spellbinders Dies (can't remember what these ones are called...some sort of label methinks), Tombow Mono Adhesive (Penwa) and Mini Glue Dots (SU).

I had the eggs on hand for the following, very simple project...

I had left these till the very last minute (UGH)...but as today is going to be the last day for this year that the kids attend 'close' education, as opposed to 'distance' education on the boat ;-), I thought I should at least try and make an effort. They took me about an hour to make last night...I started at 9:30 pm!!!!! WHY do I do this to myself? Simple...I wanted to watch Grey's first. PRIORITIES eh?

The small glassine bags are from Sugar B. Supplies on Etsy. I also couldn't resist whacking a bunch of Washi Tape on the back to stick them together. Have I mentioned how much I LOV.......Hmmmm, I think I probably have. Sorry.

Gotta run. Thumper wants food, and then I have to high-tail it to school for the end-of-term assembly, where Miss 7 is going to play some piano. I am SO excited for her.

Have a lovely day,

(Blogged to: Total Control - The Motels, Mickey - Toni Basil and Solid Rock - Goanna).

Hush my darling, Don't fear My Darling, The Lion Sleeps Tonight...

 Or in the case of a slumber party for five seven year old girls...the lion doesn't sleep tonight!

I thought I'd show you the birthday card that I made for Miss 7. It was inspired by this gorgeous card that we received from my friend Di...but I've kept with the lion theme (as requested by Miss 7 herself)...

List of Ingredients:

Cardstock: Basic Black (Textured), Only Orange, Yoyo Yellow (Textured) and Whisper White (all SU)
Ink: Tuxedo Black Memento (Tsukineko)
Stamps: Birthday Bash Sentiments (PTI)
Accessories: Kiwi Kiss Patterns DSP (SU), Paper Piercer (misc), White Gel Pen (misc), Orange Zest Satin ribbon (PTI), Yellow Twisted Paper Cord (Annabelle Stamps), Simply Chartreuse Pure Wool Felt (PTI), Die-namics Fresh Cut Grass Die (My Favorite Things), Scallop Circle Punch (SU), Two-step Owl Punch (SU), Flower Trio Punch (SU), Dimensionals (SU), Mini Glue Dots (SU) and Tombow Mono Adhesive (Penwa).

If I were making this card again, I would run the Whisper White layer through my Cuttlebug with a simple, non-fussy design (can't think what right now though...). This lion reminds me a bit of another lion I made some time back (here...the lion fancy has been going on for some time now).

The slumber party was a success...I think. To the best of my knowledge no one spent the night crying into their sleeping bag...I checked about six times ;-), and eventually they all got some sleep (not a lot...but some). I wish I could say the same for me! Thank goodness I had the Sunday to recover before it was back to the weekly chores.

The girls seemed to enjoy the activities we had planned for them. These included alphabet beading, pillowcase decorating, and pom pom critters...

The pom pom critters were my favourites. Apart from the pretty coloured wool (from Spotlight), I got to play with my newly acquired (also from Spotlight) glue gun. ME LIKEY!

Gotta run! Thanks for visiting.

Blogged to: Touch - Noiseworks, Fall of Rome - James Reyne and Hungry Town - Big Pig).

I feel like a mile-high, pastrami on rye, on the fly from the deli in the sky!

Got your attention? Let me start by saying this blog post has nothing to do with pastrami on rye. If, however, you feel like checking out some delicious, beautifully decorated chocolate mud cake...this is the post for you...just read on!

Remember at the end of my last post, the tragic tale of cake woe and retail disappointment, I mentioned that I had a GOOD cake story to relate too...well, this is it.

Behold a rooley, trooley, super dooper skamooley...beautiful cake! One that was custom made, looked fabulous, tasted even more fabulouser (while I'm making up words here I may as well go all out), was made on time, was worth every penny and one whose creator (Sarah of Little Miss Cupcake) was a real pleasure to deal with...

 

Sarah, we loved the cake! The kids were rapt by the design (Miss 7 especially!!), and we really enjoyed eating it too. It was super moist and delicious, and I may even have gone back for seconds (this is just between you, me and the gate-post....and is significant because I don't usually like chocolate mud cake at all).

I can highly recommend Sarah's amazing creations, and we'll be ordering again if she can fit us in! If you live in the ACT, check out Little Miss Cupcake...even if you don't live here (your loss...hehehe) check out the photo gallery of kids cakes here (there is one of Sponge Bob Squarepants in there...oh no AVERT YOUR EYES! ;-).

My apologies for the over abundance of pics above (couldn't help myself) and the bodgy lighting too. It was indoors on a partially overcast day...and there was me not wanting to traipse outside with the cake in hand and have it pooped on by a passing Magpie, made off with by a rabid dog or have some other highly unlikely disaster befall it...that'd be WAY more than I could have handled at that point!

Just quickly...I also made some party bags...

List of Ingredients:

Cardstock: Riding Hood Red (Textured), Marigold Morning and Whisper White (all SU)
Ink: Tuxedo Black Memento (Tsukineko)
Stamps: Wild About You (SU)
Accessories: Aluminium Metal Edge Tags (SU), 1 1/4" Circle Punch (SU), Limitless Layers 1 3/4" Circle Collection Dies (PTI), Washi Tape (Pretty Tape on Etsy), Dimensionals (SU) and Tombow Mono Adhesive (Penwa).

Sigh...more beautiful Washi Tapes here! Check them out on Etsy...from Pretty Tape, Sugar B. Supplies, UGUiSU and Washimatta.

PS. Thanks for all the comments on my last post. I needed a few sympathetic ears. You guys are awesome!

Sponge Bob Squarepants is NOT Bob the Builder...got that?

Sorry for the long absence! First off, I had two birthday parties to prepare for last weekend (one of which was a slumber party for five seven year old girls...yes I may well need my head looked at). Then I managed to leave my laptop up in Sydney last Tuesday...so I've been pretty much incommunicado since then :-(. I have my laptop back now...I missed it sorely.

It is probably a good thing that I left my laptop up there, because it has given me time to calm down about an incident that left my blood boiling! I will now calmly explain the bizarre title I used for this post!

As I was getting ready for the two parties, with my 8 week old baby in tow, I decided that this year I would out-source the whole cake making circus. I ordered one cake from a local cake-maker that I found via the internet, and the other through a well-known cake store chain. Mr almost 5 was having the cake store cake, and earlier in the week we hiked up to the shopping centre and spent a while looking through their cake design cards (and ordering their very-expensive-for-what-it-was cake...[almost $50]). Mr almost-five settled on Bob The Builder, and the store assistant took my deposit and asked me to carefully read through the order notes (which I did)...you can see where this sad tale is going, can't you?! ANYWAY...on Friday, I rocked up to the aforementioned cake store outlet and requested my Bob the Builder cake. Off they went, to find the cake and eventually returned and opened the box with a flourish for my inspection. I was gobsmacked! If it didn't actually say Happy Birthday XXXXX (insert my son's name), I would have just indicated that they'd picked up the wrong box...but NO...his name was staring back at me in not-very-neat black lettering, alongside a large picture of Sponge Bob Squarepants. I was lost for words. The only thing I could say was "NO. No, no, no....that is NOT our cake". I then managed to squeak out "Bob the Builder....we ordered Bob the Builder!!!!!!!".

At this point the store assistant consulted her notes (which I could see clearly from my side of the counter, and which clearly stated BOB THE BUILDER...NOT Sponge Bob Squarepants). She excused herself and went around the corner of the shop (maybe for a few deep breaths...something I needed desperately), and then returned and apologised, and told me the baker had made an error...with all the sympathy of a 'talk-to-the-hand' type gesture.

The manager then came out and repeated a similar story with more talk-to-the-hand attitude. Obviously they had not made an error, it was the Baker!!! I am only hearing 'DOLLY DID IT' going through my head and started to hyper-ventilate. I managed to explain that this cake was for a five year old, who had hand-picked his birthday design...and the fact that the 'baker did it,' wouldn't really cut it (I was also feeling immensely guilty for having tried to outsource the cake in the first place now...this was my punishment for my poor parenting sins). The manager kinda shrugged and proceeded to tell me that I could buy one of his other cakes instead if I liked. GOBSMACKED does not adequately explain my feelings at this point. This guy really took the cake!!! I told him "NOOOOOOOOOOO, NO...I would not be buying another one of his cakes" ( I was thinking he'd be lucky if I EVER purchased anything from his crumby store again...I'm like an elephant this way...I will NEVER forget ;-).

I held myself together and in no uncertain terms told him to "GIVE ME MY DEPOSIT NOW...PLEASE!". He looked at me calmly and said, but then you won't have a cake...at which point I almost yelled hysterically "NO, NO I WILL NOT...AND THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THAT!" Didn't he know?....you don't mess with the breastfeeding mother of an 8 week old baby, who was sleeping peacefully through this whole farsical episode, warming himself up to be awake for 90% of the night...AGAIN?!

Deposit in hand I left the counter in a hurry, walked for a few minutes, found one of those seats in the middle of a busy walk way, say down and promptly burst in to tears. I've never seen so many horrified looking shoppers in my life! I almost burst out laughing as they all studiously watched their shoes as they walked past the sobbing mother with 8 week old baby in tow. I tried to call my husband at work to vent, but he...QUITE INCONSIDERATELY was off at lunch, and I got his assistant instead who sounded quite worried about me (I was probably still sobbing at the time).

That night hubby and I knuckled down to the business of cake making. He did some last minute running around purchasing the bits and pieces while I baked and shaped the cake, then he helped me ice it. In the end, it was a good thing that cake store outlet stuffed up....our cake was MUCH nicer than theirs, and it was the cake Mr Almost-five had originally wanted (before I gently let him know I wouldn't have time to make it for him).

WOW...if you made it this far...thanks for letting me get that off my chest.

Here are some pics of our cake:

We used the Wally Whale cake from the Australian Women's Weekly Kids' Party Cakes book (our cake-making bible for the last seven years) as our inspiration. We re-drew the template though, as theirs was way too big for our needs. My kids ADORE this book. They will literally lie on the lounge room floor for HOURS choosing what cake they will have for their next birthday. I love it!

It was my husband's idea to crack out some of my coloured cardstock and make waves and sky for the background! Isn't he a clever cookie? I think I ended up using Brilliant Blue, Tempting Turquoise and Soft Sky (all SU).

Here are a couple of pics of the party bags too. Because Master 5 had originally wanted a whale cake, I went with the whale theme and cracked out my lovely Fox and Friends stamp set again. It is getting a good work-out Di...thanks again!

List of Ingredients:

Cardstock: Baja Breeze, Whisper White and Vintage Violet (all SU)
Ink: Vintage Violet Classic Ink (SU)
Stamps: Fox and Friends (SU)
Accessories: Scallop Circle Punch (SU), 1 3/8" Circle Punch (SU), 1 1/4" Circle Punch (SU), Black Polka Dot Washi Tape (Pretty Tape on Etsy), Dimensionals (SU), Large Cello Bags (SU), and Tombow Mono Adhesive (Penwa).

Japanese Washi Tape is my new LOVE. Beautiful, colourful designs, easy to apply and reapply and reapply again and easy to tear off. Check out some of the beautiful designs at Pretty Tape on Etsy!

I have another cake story to relate...but that one is a 100% positive story, so I'll post it separately!
Thanks for visiting,

(Blogged to: Ça Plane Pour Moi - Plastic Bertrand).