Loooooong post

The past week have gone by really quick. I have been creating a few layouts, but I can't show them yet. I went to Paper & Pictures yesterday to hand them in for the December/January issue of Scrapbook Magazine. The new October Afternoon patterned papers arrived on Thursday and I wanted to have these papers so badly, so......I purchased Weathervane, Hometown and Good Sheer. The papers are so yummy!! I also got back my layouts and cards that were published in Scrapbook Magazine and Cards Only. Not every card or layout made it to the magazine, so I'll post them on my blog in the next few days. I was really glad to get back the layouts that were pubbed in the August/September magazine. Now I could make some new pictures of my projects. Since my laptop crashed early September I lost all my project photos and no.....I hadn't made a back-up. The layouts Family Photo Shoot and Sisters & Best Friends were both pubbed.


Pictures by: Florence Bavinck

Supplies: Patterned paper: Pink Paislee Spring Fling Flowers: Prima Marketing Flowers Hydrangea Letters: American Crafts Chipboard Thickers Pranger black Button: Rusty Pickle Ink: VersaColor Pinecone #171 Tools: Heidi Swapp edge distresser, sewing machine Other: Prima Marketing journaling squares, foamtape, floss, pen Zig Memory System Millennium black


Pictures by: Florence Bavinck

Supplies: Cardstock: Bazzill Basics Paper Patterned paper: Little Yellow Bicycle Delightful Flowers: Prima Marketing Flowers Bubbles, Heidi Swapp Silhouette Daisy white Letters: American Crafts Chipboard Thickers Pranger white Ribbon: Bazzill Basics Rub-ons: Hambly Screen Prints Rub-ons Vintage Motifs Buttons: Rusty Pickle Tools: Fiskars Threading Water punch, EK Success Whale Punch Retro Flower Large, Daisy Large, Sizzix Doodle Block Lowercase Alphabet set, Sizzix BigShot machine, sewing machine Other: floss, Hotfix pearls, pen Zig Memory System Millennium black, chipboard

This layout about Fleur didn't make it. No problem of course, because so many great projects are submitted each time and the editor has to make a choice. I really like this picture that Eric made of Fleur. The hidden journaling is about Eric practising his portrait photography skills. I was on my knees holding a hairdryer, so it looks like her hair is blowing in the wind.



Supplies: Cardstock: Bazzill Basics Paper Patterned paper: Pink Paislee Office Lingo, Little Yellow Bicycle Delightful Ribbon: Bazzill Basics Buttons: Rusty Pickle, Creative Café Flowers: Prima Marketing Flowers Bubbles, Heidi Swapp Silhouette Daisy white Letters: American Crafts Chipboard Thickers Pranger white Tools: EK Success Whale Punch Retro Flower Large, sewing machine Stamps: Autumn Leaves clear stamps Ledger Tabs Other: Making Memories Metal Tag Rims, floss, staples, pen Zig Memory System Millennium black

A few months ago I came across some great bright purses on Heidi Swapp's blog. She lives in Beijing and mentioned that she found them on a market. My SIL Li originally comes from Beijing and her parents and sister live in Beijing. Li and my brother had plans to visit Li's family this year, so I sent Heidi an e-mail asking her where in Beijing she found the purses. She replied and gave me the name of the market. Peter and Li spent the past two weeks in Beijing and before they left I sent them the link to Heidi's blog post and asked them to look for a lime and black purse. They printed the picture of the purses, and went shopping at the local market. It didn't take them too long to find the purses. The purses were priced for 32.50 euro ($42), but they got them for only 10 euro ($13) each. These are my new purses...



The black one happens to be a brown one. I didn't notice it at first - and neither did Peter and Li when they bought the purses - but when I put it next to the black one that they bought for my friend Hanneke a few days later I noticed the little difference. I don't really care. I recently purchased a black purse myself, so I am really happy with this brown one.

Last Friday I went to Dolls & Decorations' Halloween Fright Night. The store looked very spooky, and Petra had yummy cupcakes and real American candies and Halloween colored M&Ms. I was glad I weighed in that morning, so I could cheat a little bit on my diet. I have now lost 10kg (22lb). I didn't scrap anything, but had a great time. Here are some pictures taken that night. I am the (sweet) devil with the black/red wig. I really liked my new hairdo. I have been having curls for 39 years, so it is great to have a different hairdo for 1 night. *wink*

The Dolls & Decorations DT...



Norbiba (l), Hanneke (r) and me (m)...



This morning Fleur, Sanne and I made some cupcakes. I wanted to try the cupcake mix and icing that I bought last week. There is a store very close to work where they sell all kinds of products to bake and decorate your own (cup)cakes. The look of my cupcakes isn't perfect, but the taste is!!! I know, I know....I am on a diet, but I had to try one. Well......one and a half. I shared one with my brother this afternoon and took another one this evening.



**ETA** I totally forgot to tell that I got a copy of the latest issue of Cards Only magazine last Saturday. Number 4 is a great winter / Christmas issue with lots of gorgeous cards. I still think it is awesome to see your own cards pubbed in a magazine.



Well, this is all for now. Tomorrow Laura and Kazan will announce the new 2 Sketches 4 You Winter Design Team and I am really curious to find out who made it to the team. I am sure that they have chosen a great team.