I'm a Guest Designer Whimsical Wednesday Challenge!

Today I am so thrilled to be the Guest Designer for the Whimsical Wednesday Challenge at Always Crafting with Stephanie.

Your challenge will be to make a Winter scrapbook layout with us to celebrate the United States saying goodbye to Winter and coming into Spring. 

Well, this was definitely a challenge for me, because In Australia we are coming out of Summer into Autumn! So I decided to make a layout that showed how different the seasons are between the US and Australia, plus this layout documents my lack of Geography skills. I never liked Geography in school and it's showing! I'm glad I now have technology to learn it all.

I went researching for my layout and was stunned at weather reports in Stephanie's home town and found she was in -3C (27F) I have only seen those kinds of temperatures a few times in my entire life! COLD! 

If I had temperatures like that I'd celebrate Winter leaving too! While researching, it was 26C (79F) here in Australia and that was 9:30pm at night!

I created two layouts. The first one is busy but PACKED with meaning for me - I will explain it all! 

I love this layout! It means so much to me and has so many memories and hidden meanings.

This is an exact copy of a note I wrote my friend Rodney in Geography in 1990. He and I passed notes all the time in class. I've kept a lot of them but they are too frail to scrap. No wonder I didn't learn very much.

Of course, I hand wrote these two elements to make it look like school work.

"It's all much of a muchness" is a quote from Alice in Wonderland which I toured the north end of Australia when I was 14 years old in a drama production.

 (Conversion 107 F is the temp we had Christmas in 2009). 

The average Western Australian temperature for Christmas day is 32C (89 F).

Now as an adult, I love learning through people, technology and blogging. In Australia, people and friends are often far away. You get used to bridging distances. And this layout will remind me of the time difference to the east coast US now that Stephanie and I can Skype!

This is my favourite part. A time line of the months showing New York up top and Western Australia below. It shows what seasons we are in and when. Even though it's upside down you get the picture. We are on the flip side of the earth after all. Australia is nicknamed Down Under for a reason!

In the towns I've lived, a winter day is around 18C. (64 F) You can still get out often and go for a swim! Like this winter day of me and my friend Carlene in Esperance.

Phew! Is your brain hurting now? Here's a fun layout then:

This is a quote I often use. My boys both have a rare form of albinism and hate the sun. In Summer, I am often stuck in the house, and inevitably put on weight from being near a kitchen and this was one of those photos that makes me cringe!

 

These cute critters are from Camping Critters cartridge and I had to use the Gypsy to hide the eyes so I could use Peachy Keen Stamps. PLUS I removed the lamp and book from the top squirrel and added an acorn. 

 

The acorns are from Sure Cuts a Lot and the font is called 'Elephants in a Cherry Tree'

Make sure you leave a comment here and check out Stephanie's layouts at the Whimsical Wednesday challenge post. Then get busy crafting to say goodbye to Winter and link it up by 22nd March at midnight on the Always Crafting Whimsical Wednesday post here. 

You have the chance of winning the new Florals Embellished cartridge...

Thanks for stopping by, of course I would love if you followed me. I'm having my 100 follower celebration soon. 

Plus my good friend, Me n' Miss Pink Cricut is celebrating my Guest Design spot for Whimsical Wednesday by giving away a set of the cutest winter Snow Cuties stamps. Make sure you head over there to say hi!

My warmest thanks (107F) goes to Stephanie for giving me this wonderful opportunity to Guest Design for Whimsical Wednesday.

Good luck with the challenge! I can not wait to see your layouts.