NikkiAntonello

What's been happening.....

Well, nothing particularly interesting or special has been happening here, just the craziness of a busy and active life!  We are gearing up for the beginning of all things school for Noah and Belle next year.  We just received our letter of welcome for Belle...she was very excited that the letter was also addressed to her...AND...we had our first planning meeting for Noah at Special School.  All in all things are progressing as they should be!  I'd love to say that I'm not approaching the New Year with an increased feeling of anxiety and nervousness, but that would be a fib.  As I cuddled Noah tonight before he went to bed and I held his little hand....I remember like yesterday cuddling this beautiful little baby boy in my arms......and my sensitive little soul Isabelle will be on her own in the wide world too.....I fear for them both in ways that are different, yet the same........

Saturday Sketch....

This was my Sketch from a week ago and is probably one of my favourite.  I love this photos of my beautiful Mum and Dad, taken at her 60th birthday.  I love what an inspiration they are to me every day and the fact that after almost 40 years of marriage, they still hold hands...too cute!  I used the Duchess Collection of papers and I just love how it turned out.  I made some of my pretty stamped flowers and and made an embellishment using the large clear stamp, some pearls and journalling.

Off Shore -  Water Babe

These photos are of my beautiful baby boy Noah enjoying the water in Mum and Dad's Spa.  I love the enjoyment in his face and the sheer joy from splashing in the water.  Ever since he was a bubba, Noah has enjoyed water....in any form...from the hose, a pool, a bucket, in puddles......

Penny Royale - Enjoy

This beautiful photo of Miss Isabelle was taken at Mum and Dad's on Mother's Day in the Autumn leaves.  My three gorgeous little cherubs had an absolute ball throwing leaves and playing in amongst the trees.  This little snapshot of Belle had her throwing leaves up into the air and laughing with glee as they fell around her.  She ran, chasing Noah with hands full of leaves....they had the most lovely time!

Q2 Launch

This photo was taken at the Q2 launch in Geelong a few weeks ago.  I stand here with 2 of the gorgeous DT girls, Renee Ludlow on the left and Rona Bailey on the right.  I had the loveliest time with these two girls ( and Rona's lovely friend Rachel) and chatted and giggled like I'd know them for some time.  I felt very lucky to be standing between two such talented artists.

Speaking of the Q2 launch....I had the loveliest stay in Geelong with the beautiful AL Hannah and her family.  When AL rang to ask if I'd like to stay, I was just beside myself.  This entire Kaisercraft journey for me has been so very much more than just scrapbooking.  When I applied for the DT position, it was the very first one I'd gone for and it was at a time when I really needed something for myself.  My Mum once said to me that God doesn't always give us what we want he gives us what we need!  I have made the most beautiful friendship that will last me much longer than my stay at Kaiser.  Al is such a beautiful soul and I feel so very lucky to have met her.  The sentiment also applies to the beautiful Mel K....
 

Anyway, that's about it for now,

Take care,  Nikki xx

 

A day at the zoo

Our day at the zoo......

On the weekend, we took a trip to Melbourne to visit friends and on Sunday we took the kids to the  Zoo.  We've been once before when Noah and Belle were little, but obviously our brains had fallen off as we went in the Chrissie holi's on a stinking hot day...Noah did not cope to say the very least.....so this time we thought we'd pick a better day to go with less people....The kids loved it, as did Stef and I watching their reactions.  Just priceless really!!!  Quote of the day:  Isabelle stating her favourite animal was the Meercat because we could get up close (due to their glass enclosure) and they have pink bits....Hmmmmm!!!!!  Which in the mind of a 4 year old has everything to do with the colour and nothing else...LOL.....

Funny story......

 The one place we most wanted to show Isabelle was the Butterfly House and she was suitably excited about going in.  When we got inside two gorgeous big Monarch...(I think...LOL..) butterflies landed on the stroller.  I called Isabelle over to have a look and I thought she would just stand there in quiet wonder and awe....Hmmmm...WRONG!!!!!....as I was adjusting my camera....she reached out as quick as a flash to catch the butterflies in her hand....the motion resembled a fly swat.....LOL.....upon me yelling "Belle" she lifted her hand only to reveal the poor creatures stunned and slightly squashed on the stroller.  Don't get me wrong, we are definite animal lovers and in no way condone cruelty, but it was the funniest thing I have ever seen......Of course she was horrified and embarrassed by the attention of other laughing onlookers.....not enough to be deterred though...she still spent the rest of our stay trying to catch the poor little creatures.  Suffice to say we wove a speedy path to the other door.

What happened to the butterflies I hear you ask....Stef put them back on a flower and assures me they flew away.......

Saturday Sketch

Below is my take on last weekends Saturday Sketch!  I turned it 90 degrees on its side to better suit my photo.  I used the gorgeous Loire Valley papers for this layout of my brother Michael and I.....This photo is pretty special as he rarely poses for photos and I can't remember the last time I had one with him.  I especially love the quote which reads:

" Some day when you're far away and the miles keep us apart, I'm going to whisper I love my sister..You will discover I love my brother and we will know it in our hearts"

And finally.....

Be sure to visit the Kaisercraft Blogfor some fantastic competitions running at the moment and some fantastic prizes up for grabs!

That's about it for now....I'm off tonight to the launch of Kaiser's Q2 in Geelong, can't wait!!!! Take care....

Nikki xx

30 days of Creative Contests

 

Kaisercraft is hosting a month long celebration to celebrate its second quarterly release!  Join in the fun, visit the Kaisercrafties blog during the month of September and you'll find daily contests and prizes, indusrty news, inspiration, guest blog posts and much more!  They've also got exclusive photos, discussions and news on their facebook page and be the first to hear any news from Kaisercraft via their twitter feed!  

You've gotta be in it to win it!!! .....so get creative and join in the fun!

Talk soon....Nikki xx

A little bit of Bella

Today sees the end of another weekend...why is it that Sunday seems to fly by so very quickly?  I love the weekends, the fact that Stef is home and we can spend some really lovely time playing with the kids.....what's not to enjoy.....

Anywhoo....These next 2 layout were created using the new Bella "Sarah Jane" Collection of papers, Alphabet sticker, and Flower embellishments for Michelle at Scrapbookit.

 

 

Trying something new......This layout was inspired by the very talented Fran  (Kaiser DT)and her gorgeous clean style of scrapbooking.  It's a photo of my nephew Ben who is just apapproaching the dreaded teen years and is a really gorgeous kid!  I was actually pretty chuffed with how this one turned out!  Check out the Kaisercraft Blog  for Fran's gorgeous mini album for some more inspiration. 

I spent yesterday attending a scrap with a beautiful group of girlies at Chelle's shop......lots of fun, laughter and really great gossiping....a little bit of scrapping too....LOL...but  I actually got  a head start on some of my Saturday Sketch work, so I was pretty pleased.  A great weekend all round really.  AND.......Be sure to check back tomorrow for the details on a fantastic new Kaisercraft competition.....can't say too much more, other than its a RIPPER!!!!!

Thanks for dropping by....

Nikki xx

Birdhouse

Kaisercraft Birdhouse......

 

This is my Kaisercraft BTP project - "Friends welcome here - birdhouse".  I loved doing this project!  I used the Penny Royale Paper collection, which has become one of my favourites and cut and layered lots of the pretty flowers.  It made a really lovely addition to my kitchen...thinkin' I might have to make some as pressies for Christmas....On this weeks Kaisercraft newsletter there are some instructions from Renee about how she made her birdhouse.  Check it out here...it is absolutely stunning!!!!! ............also for lots more beautiful work and a great new card making comp', head over to the kaisercraft blog .

Mojo...where are you?

It's been a very ordinary couple of weeks just gone with the business of life taking over......and the craziness of looking after little people.  I've had a very overwhelming time just looking after Noah in general and trying to keep up with all that his little life entails.  As well as attending kinder and childcare, he also attends an early intervention program weekly and speech therapy fortnightly... and we are currently organising extra speech and occupational therapy sessions and well as navigating our way through the enrollment process for him to attend Special School next year....WHEW!!!!! I'm tired all over again...lol...... generally I think I cope pretty well, but after watching the most beautiful special on Australian Story about a little boy with Autism.....I felt very inadequate as a parent and that I really should be doing more.....as parents I know we all have patches where we question our ability, but I've just had a little crisis of confidence in the last couple of weeks...sometimes I wish the fact that we loved him the whole world was enough to make things O.K. but unfortuantely ..no go.....As a result my scrapping mojo had disappeared....I wish I could say like my gorgeous DT friend Tanya that I'd left it in Bali on a recent family holi...but alas...I cannot!! 

Having said all that....yesterday I scrapped two whole layouts and started a third last night...WOO HOO!  I'm feeling better in myself and Saturday was a gorgeous sunshiny day spent gardening with Stef and the kids....can't think of a better way to lift the spirits!

Will post my L.O's in the next little bit as two of them are for Chelle @ Scrapbookit.  I also drew up some plans for my new scrapping desk and paper storage units, so hopefully they might be ready soon....I can't wait! 

Well, that's about it....keep safe and thanks for stopping by...

Nikki xx

Tuesday Technique - Embroidered Badges

Embroidered Badges.....

 

Just a short and sweet post...this was my Tuesday Technique using the gorgeous "Off Shore" collection and embroidered badges.  I decided to make a little wall hanging that would make a great gift idea for a friend, but you could adapt the idea and change the sentiment to suit whatever occasion.  To make my flowers, I cut out the paper ones for the background and shaped those using the badges as the center piece.  I created the stems and made little dimensional leaves.  I also stitched part of the background and stamped my friends sentiment!  Too easy really!

In other new....the kids are sick at the moment with Winter colds and runny noses....not fun, but we've actually been relatively lucky this year in comparison to others and everyone seems to have something....

I've also been busy planning my new scrap room and surfing blogs for ideas...not sure whether this is a good idea or not..some spaces are absolutely unbelievable.....I'm thinkin' at the moment, that Stef and my beautiful friend Chelle'shusband Rick might get together and make my desk and some paper shelves for storage, but that's about it...of and I've worked out my design for the wall...hmmm cos' thatt's important...LOL...anyway, I'm enjoying all the thinking and planning and can't wait to unpack and organise all my stuff.  Will keep posting with updates as time rolls along...oh, nearly forgot...I need to mention a huge thanks to the gorgeous Christine Rumley  (DT)who very kindly swapped spots with me for our upcoming Sunday Scrap Space blog post....you are too sweet!

Well that's it for now, keep safe...

Nikki xx

What's new......

It's nice to finally be able to share some of my pieces using the new Q1 products from Kaiser...head over to the Kaisercraft blog  and check out some of the beautiful work from the other girls on the DT..their work is amazing!.....

Layout ~ Best Friends.....

This gorgeous layout is of Belle and her beautiful little friend Molly.  The girls have been friends since they were bubbas, as Jodie is one of my closest friends.  I chose this photo of the two girls from kinder as it suited the Pina Colada Collection so well.  I wanted this layout to reflect the fun these two have together and the bright cheery colours achieved this  beautifully.  Orange is not a colour I use a lot of but I think it works really well with these colours.  I also doodled around the edges of each of the different pieces of patterned paper to make they stand out and define them a little more. 

Products used: Pina Colada Paper collection, Chipboard letters, Die Cut elements and Epoxy Brads, Kaiser black paint, Foam dots, Super fine glitter and Dimensional  Magic.

Layout - Where has time gone?

This beautiful layout uses the "Duchess" collection of goodies and I choose a photo I'd taken of Belle on the decking outside while we were playing one day.  I really was struck by not only how gorgeous she looked, but more so the fact that my baby girl is growing up.  A little to quickly for my liking actually!  The colours in the photo matched the Duchess papers beautifully and created a really soft contemporary look.  I cut out the scalloped piece from its initial green background and put it onto a blue one and then hand stitched around the inside edge.  Products Used: Duchess paper collection, Embroidered Badges,Epoxy Brads, Chipboard Alpha and Acrylic Stamps, Wooden Flourishes, Paint, Pearls and Flowers.

 

Layout - Peek a Boo

 I love this one!  I did this for the Saturday sketches and it's a photo of Belle when she was only a couple of weeks old.....I'm so glad I have photos to remind me of how little and beautiful she was.  I used the "Be Mine" Paper Collection, which I just love and is one of my older favourites......I have lots of faves.....LOL, some chipboard alphas, rhinestones, rubons and paint.  Over the next couple of weeks I'll be able to share some more work using the new Q1 collections, but for some more inspiration...be sure to head over to the blog to check out the new DT work during the week and the new Saturday sketches this weekend. I've also got my next installment of Tuesday tips coming up using the beautiful new Kaiser badges so keep an eye out for that!

 

Publication News...

Layout - the calm before the storm...

Check out the latest edition of Scrapbook Creations Magazine - issue 69 for my layout of Joshua which appears in the gallery titled Tears and Tantrums......  I took this photo of Joshi when he was 2 and I'd like to say that in the past 8 months the tantis have subsided, but really...I'd be fibbing!  Out of all three children he is prone to the worst temper outbursts....thankfully he is an angel in public, so I don't feel like a totally dodgy mum!  Having said all that....he is pretty gorgeous!                                            

In other exciting news, we have taken the very big step of moving Isabelle into one of the bedrooms upstairs.  Stef & I thought she might be a bit little, but she is very excited about being able to get away from her brothers and quite frankly....I can't blame her.   The move comes mostly out of the necessity for Joshua to have some space of his own away from constantly annoying Noah when he wants to play quietly in his room.......sooo...what all of this means is the nursery is now free for me to set up my long awaited scrapping room......WOO HOO....while it's not a huge space it does mean I can set up all my stuff and not have to pack it away.  I think Stef will be just as pleased to see it off the kitchen table as I am...LOL...

Well, that's it for now.  Thanks for stopping by!

Nikki xx

Pink Concert

Pink Concert

Who's a lucky girl then......hmmm...... that would be me......Last night I was lucky enough to be able to go to the Pink Concert at Rod Laver Arena in Melbourne....Talk about absolutely spectacular....really words cannot not describe what an awesome experience this was.  Initially, I was really surprised by the demographic of the audience...there were families there with their children, lots of young people and older people too....I fall somewhere in-between...LOL....

Pink came on a little after 9:15 and kept us all mesmerized for the 2 hours to follow......There was a mixture of old songs and new ones from her Fun-house C.D.....and boy can she sing.........Oh my goodness.....absolutely beautiful...her voice is even better in real life than on her C.D's and the acoustic songs with just the guitar were absolutely beautiful.....that's not to mention the visual feast.....her acrobatics, costumes, dancing......I'd say more, but don't want to spoil it if you're going ......I will say though, the finale is absolutely breathtaking and really beautiful..."glitter in the air" being one of my favourites anyway....... I could go on, but I'd be here 'till Christmas.....it was just too amazingly spectacular and fantastically awesome!

The only disappointing part was being told by the usher that we were not allowed to dance in our seats and that we had to sit down...since when do you not dance at a concert...I mean really......come on...I actually think it's quite ridiculous....but having said that...I did dance to 2 songs....and I did appologise to the people sitting behind me, who mind you were not singing along and dancing too....LOL.....if you're a fan ..go along!

Onto some scrapping news

This is my latest Layout for the Kaiser Saturday sketches.....I chose these photos of Belle and my sisters' little girl Itiyah.  Both Liza and I absolutely adore these pics as they could not reflect the love they have for each other any more.......There is an age difference of about 9 months between them and they are like 2 peas in a pod.....I love it because Belle doesn't have a sister in our house, she has one at Auntie Leezie's house.....too cute.....Anyway, I chose Kaisercraft Playtime Papers and set my layout on a crisp white background.  I also doodled around the edges of each patterned piece of paper to create a real sense of fun.  I also used Kaiser wooden flourishes...flower and butterfly, rhinestones, friends rubons and fozz felt letters.  I added little glitter dots to my felt letters to add some sparkle and also on my wooden pieces.

 

Tuesday Technique

Using Kaisercraft stamps in different ways....

I made this little card to show how we can use Kaiser stamps on different surfaces. I stamped  a pattern on both the ribbon and also on my paper flowers.  I used stamps from the Duchess and Penny Royale collections.  On the wooden flourish, I painted the surface with Kaisercraft paint first, allow that to dry and then stamped the pattern over the top.  I've used this technique before on chipboard letters for a title and it looks really effective.  Add a coat of gloss or dimensional magic and there you have it...too easy!

Well, that's about it for now...

Thanks for stopping by....Nikki xx

Kaiser Christmas in July

Christmas Countdown Tree....

This is my Chrissie tree using the Countdown Paper Collection.....You'll notice a very obvious difference in the quality of photograph....Hmmmm...... that's because I didn't take it....LOL...A big thanks to Alison, Mel and the girls for this great snapshot...I sent my tree in before I took a photo...

It took me a little while to work out what I wanted to do with my tree to make it stand out, so I decided to cut strips of paper, fringe cut and shape each piece and then stick them on.  I was really happy with the dimension and texture it gave the tree.  The other materials I used were, Kaisercraft wooden flourishes - Christmas word and Holly, Red rhinestones, gel pen, ribbon & dimensional magic.

Other news

What a busy close to the school holidays this week has provided.....over the past two days, Stef has been busy with our annual salami making days....As a serious lover of food...particularly homemade Italian food...the process does not alarm me as much as it may some.....As a child, I remember getting up on the weekend to make our own homemade pasta sauce or preseved peaches and how much I used to despise being woken up  early to participate in these yearly ritual....As an adult who now appreciates homegrown and homemade food, I realize how very lucky I was to be a part of such a beautiful culture that embraces  traditions that have been a part of our family for generations.....

That said.....we're gearing up for my Mum's 60th birthday this weekend.  The little people are ridiculously excited about sleeping over at their grandparents and have been eagerly counting sleeps...I made a 60th wooden album for guests to record their birthday messages to Mum...will post a pic when I finish adding the final touches......

I've also been busy working on lots of lovely Kasier stuff.....will post some photos in the next little bit!

Take care,

Nikki xx

Latest Kaiser Creations

I've been M.I.A for the last little bit ....just very busy with life in general and the day to day episodes of three little people.  We are into our second week of school holidays here in Victoria at the moment and the change of pace has been very much needed.  I love that I don't have to be rushing out the door for drop offs and pick ups and we can just stay home and have a play.  That's not to say that Noah, Belle & Josh have not driven each other crazy at times, but the rainy weather hasn't really helped.  In the last week before holidays, Belle had her first dance concert for the year.  The routine was called "Circus Ballerina" and she looked absolutely gorgeous....still very much doing her own choreograph...but you get that LOL.......will get around to scrapping those pics in the not too distant future......hopefully...LOL...Anyway here is a pic of my budding ballerina and some of my latest scrapping stuff!

Kaiser Creations - Christmas in July

This is one of my latest layouts using some of last seasons Chrissie Papers and embellishments. I used this beautiful photo of Noah from his very first Christmas photo shoot.  I'd propped him up on some cushions in front of the Christmas tree and carefully placed some tinsel and ribbons around him....and what else would a one year old do but eat all the pretty decorations and baubles...it was really very cute...I love the look of wide eyed innocence.....

I kept the layout fairly simple and the embellishments to a minimum.  I've used the Kaiser Countdown range of papers, Wooden Christmas word, Christmas rubons and rhinestones. 

The next layout is for the Saturday SImple Sketches.......

This layout uses the Sugar Sugar range of papers and features Joshi's second birthday....I made him a "Little Red Tractor" cake, which didn't quite turn out as well as I had envisaged...LOL...but he knew who it was and was very excited none the less.  These papers were lots of fun to use and just perfect for a birthday layout. I also doodled around the edges just for fun!

I decided to create a feature for my page in the shape of a large cupcake.  I scored and fan folded paper to create the patty-pan and cut out some candles to decorate the sides.  Ribbon was used to pull the sides in and create a more realistic shape.  I then used rubons and some dimensional magic to create the icing on top.