Stunning...

Just thought I'd show some proofs of the photos of Rebecca taken at Nationals during her figure event. The photographer is Bryan Lloyd-Jones (who is also a top level skater) and although he took only half the photos of Bec as he did of the others in her event every one of them is great. It was lovely to hear the photographer, judges and officials comment on how elegant and relaxed she looked.
Have a look at Xtreme
Don't try this one at home...lol

The power of prayer...

As most of Jenni's friends are aware, today she is having her major surgery. Let's send her as many prayers as we can to carry her and family through this difficult time.

We are home....

Got home at 2am Saturday from our week in Perth so had one 2 hour time zone adjustment - and now another last night for daylight saving.
Bec skated really well and placed 5th out of 11 (places 3-5 were decided on countback). She was very happy as it was her first Australian titles as an individual. Her team event was incredible - they have had sickies, injuries and rarely trained with their full team of 16. The opposing team - also from Melbourne skated really well but when ours started the entire audience were holding their breath. Their speed and technical difficulty set them apart. They skated the best routine they have ever done - the coaches were in tears at the end of it. Now she has 2 Australian Champion medals for precision - last year for Open level and this year for International level and has retired from the team event.

The best bit for Bec was being able to cut the strapping tape off her foot after 5 days. It worried us that she became quite depressed over the first weekend - we weren't staying where her friends were, and even if we were there she couldn't swim or do anything that might damage the tape as it was a public holiday in Perth on the Monday and we could not get a physio to redo the strapping. A trip to AQWA (Aquarium of Western Australia) fixed that - the touch pool was so therapeutic. Especially when she was playing with the shark and starfish. It was fabulous to watch my young biologist explaining about the creatures to Em (who normally she wouldn't want to be seen with!) and any young children around her - Bec was right in her element. She has been behind the scenes at the Melbourne Aquarium to had some prior experience.

We managed to fit in a trip to the Zoo, day at Fremantle, breakfast at Hilary's Boat Harbour, a game or two at Burswood Casino and plenty of driving along the coast. None of this was too far from the lovely little unit where we stayed in Scarborough. Bec went to Kings Park with her friends and managed to fall of a swing and get a lovely bruise on her face.
We were also able to buy her new skating boots (on sale - only $600!!!) made with carbon fibre which weight a quarter of what her old ones do so that will also help her foot recover. We had planned on throwing the old ones out onto the Marmion Reef to make a house for some fish but didn't have the tools with us!
Emily enjoyed her first flights and wants to do it again.
Better go and get Bec up for work.

Organisation....

I am afraid that word and I are not very compatible! I am flying out to Perth for a week tomorrow and feel like nothing is ready. In reality flights and accomodation are booked, costumes are made and in their bags, I just need to pack(or re repack) clothes and organise how many cases we are taking. Bec has to take 2 pairs of skates (13kg!) so they will be in one, so we can only take 3 others plus carry on. And fit them into the small car John has hired to go out to the airport. Fun. Can't wait to get there - our unit overlooks Scarborough Beach. Bec finishes competing on Tuesday night so we have a few days to explore and catch up with friends.

I withdrew from Battle of the Scrappers and So You Think You Can Scrap this week - I was putting myself under too much pressure with so much else to organise that I wasn't enjoying them.

Final results can back from CT scans and there are some major concerns - not as simple as first thought. This time its gastrolenterologist and colonoscopy - what a fun thing to come home to. Looks like a change of lifestyle might be in order.

Better get back to work......

Round 2 Scrap-eography

- A mixture of at least 3 patterned papers in various colours, patterns, brands and textures

- Ink (lots of it!)

- Journaling strips

- Everything a little off centre and generally weighted to one side

- Dimension

- One large photo

PP - Daisy D's, MM, Kaisercraft, BG (cut out) and something out of scraps box for journalling strips Cardstock - Prisma; Letters - Heidi Swapp; Inks (black and white)Pen, Kindy GLitz, Kaisercraft pearls.

I really didn't think I was going to do this one as I couldn't sit for more than a few minutes at a time but managed to get this done and unploaded in 1/2 hour - must be a record for me.

Voting finished tonight and I have made it to Round 3.

I have been given some lovely blog awards too - I will post those when I get some time.

Where has this week gone?...

Seems no time since last weekend. It has been a stressful week - after being in incredible unexplained stomach/pelvic pain for a few days - ended up yesterday with my whole day being taken up with doctor's visits, ultrasound, CT scans. And if I get asked one more time if I could be pregnant I will scream! But then maybe I should be flattered that they think I am much younger....lol. My mother offered to come with me but I chose to go by myself. The sitting around, delays with the reporting finally took its toll once I got back to doctors and I fell apart. Luckily I had time to go and get a latte from Macca's next door - maybe it was just caffiene deprivation and not having eaten much for a few days. Luckily the results showed up a problem that a week or two on 2 antibiotics should fix. We were all very relieved.

During this I still managed to do my Battle of the Scrappers layout for 3 Angels. This weeks cryptic clues translated to white, black or brown cardstock, green papers, green or natural embellies, nature photos.


Materials used: Prisma cardstock, PP, blings, wooden flourishes - Kaisercraft, Green Tara flowers, skeleton leaves, American Craft and CM letters.

Round 1 Scrap-eography

1. Hand cutting of pp designs

2. Edge Distressing

3. Layering

4. Use of white/negative space

5. Texture

6. Non-standard size photos (not 4x6, 5x7 etc)

7. Clustering

That's all fine but I needed a photo first. I am not one of these lucky people who can put together a layout - then find a photo to fit. Flicking through the 5,000 or so on my computer I found this one taken of Emily at Sovereign Hill a couple of years ago - just before she started high school and all the problems that went with that. I love the look of concentration as she tried to use the manual potters wheel. I often went there when I was at school and always had to be dragged away from the pottery - no surprise to my family when I did ceramics as part of my VCE art course. Finally at 1.30 this morning it was finished. Doesn't help when you get called out to look at things of TV every 5 minutes!

Materials used: Cardstock - TLC, Prisma; PP - Cloud 9 -Razzberry Heaven, Chocolate Chalet; Rub-ons - Cloud 9; Letters - Chatterbox, PD Originals; Flowers - Green Tara, Prima; Kaisercraft Pearls;Pen.

HAPPY FATHERS' DAY

This will be my first fathers' day without mine - at least the Swans won for him last night.