Laughter

Our youngest is getting married in two months and so much has been going on during the past months. Come to think of it, even more will be going on during the months to come!

On Saturday we surprised her with a kitchen tea and had a lot of fun with her. She received beautiful gifts for their new home and we had a special time together as family and friends. There was so much laughter and joy and I get to share the pictures with you on my new layout for Saturday’s class 🙂

This is a fun layout with lots of unexpected detail including washi tape, a tiny button card and a transparent overlay.

The paper is from Kaiser Kraft’s Pickled Pear collection and I used parts of it with 7G tags to create bundles tied with waxed cord.

Come create a layout for your special pictures having fun with your loved ones while we catch up on everybody’s news 🙂

Keeping it together

My father used to say that his best years were when he could still cover all his children with one blanket.

I didn’t realise how true his words were until my own children started growing up and worries about minor (and some major) cuts and bruises turned into more serious worries. Worries about their future in uncertain times, would each of them find the right person to love and cherish and spend their life with, etc. (in the meantime three of the four have already met wonderful life partners and worry didn’t have anything to do with it!) I could go on and on and I’m sure those of you with teenagers or grown children could add many items to the list.

But I have learned that we have to trust that our children’s roots will stay firm and that the wings we helped them develop will let them soar high and strong! Now I try to just love them while trusting that God would look after them. That way I manage (sometimes) to keep it together!

My layout this week is about the people I love and try not to worry about too much 🙂

The printed paper is from Authentique and I fell in love with the designs and colours the moment I saw it!

The envelope on the left page is bound with measuring tape trim with flowers from Creative Talents as detail. The trim is repeated on the title and the small pictures on the right page. Because I didn’t use a lot of fine detail on the page, the patterned paper is the star of the layout.

Looking forward to scrapping with you on Saturday!

Let yourself fly

After a long scrapping drought, I am back in action and I really enjoyed it to sit down and fiddle with scrapping goodies again!

With a dead underperforming thyroid and hormones out of whack it has been a battle to keep my boat afloat over the past few months.  But there is light at the end of the tunnel and although my memory is still often out of action I just  hope that people will forgive me if they have to jolt my memory on occasion.

When I started with my layout for our class on Saturday I haven’t decided what pictures I wanted to use yet, but as the layout came together I remembered these pictures and they were perfect!  It was early morning in the mountains and with everybody else still asleep, I slipped out quietly and sat down at the water’s edge.  As I enjoyed the view of the impossibly green summer mountains I experienced the most serene and peaceful feeling.  It was as if the water  ran right through me, taking with it all the stresses and worries that is so part of being human.  I didn’t realise that Frans had woken up in the meantime and was photographing me through our bedroom window.

I made envelopes with fragile photographic dry mounting tissue that I bought from a dealer in second hand goods some time ago.  I used black ink to stamp onto the envelopes for added texture and filled them with music paper tags and tags made from Tim Holtz’ Kraft resist paper.

Back flourishes and cards from red lead paperworks add to the theme.

Come  feel your soul blossom en let yourself fly on Saturday!

Part of being sane is being a little bit crazy…

according to Janet Long and I totally agree with her!  If I am not a little bit crazy every now and then I will go completely crazy.  Serious!

As adults we have to deal with an enormous amount of stress just to keep the wheels on the bus.  But sometimes I close my eyes and refuse to see the wheels coming off – or even take the wheels off to allow that little bit of craziness to keep me sane.  Does that sound insane or what?!

During our family camp a few weeks ago we had the opportunity to catch up with everybody’s bits of craziness and the kids joined in with abandon.  We camped at a resort north of Rustenburg on the Zeerust road and although  it was deep in March already it was sizzling hot.  Of course Ms Photographer couldn’t keep her hands off her camera and took some gorgeous shots of a beautiful sunset.

Yes, crazy is a relative term in our family 😉

The children enjoyed the swimming pool in the hot weather and I decided to use these pictures on my layout for Saturday.

The background is Kraft paper and I used various printed papers in blues to match the 97% complete stickers from 7G.  Walnut ink magically transforms ordinary manilla tags into rustic tags and I used them to fill a pocket on the left page.

I used the brown strips with quotes as a band through the middle of the layout and clustered some of the stickers on the right page.

This is a fun layout suitable for a wide range of photographs and I hope it will bring a smile to your face as it did to mine.  See you on Saturday!

Dream a little dream

In this case the dream was huge and it came true after years of hard work -sometimes in the face of adversity.

On 1 March 2013 Tjaart officially received his B.Sc Electronic Engineering degree at North-West University and we are so proud of him!  To top it all Tjaart and Corli got engaged on 28 February so we have reason to celebrate and above all a lot to be grateful for.

I started some time ago with my layout for this week’s class but it was one of those that just didn’t want to fall in place and I put it aside until yesterday.  When I took it out again everything came together perfectly and I love how this page turned out (maybe I just needed the pictures to boost my creativity 🙂 )

The paper is from 7G and some of the tags are also from these clever travellers.

The washi tape is from Tim Holtz and buttons are from my stash.  The layered ephemera is stitched to the page to bring everything together.

The ‘To Do’ card on the left page was the perfect spot for me to journal and I used three beautiful quotes as inspiration for his life.  By changing the stamp on the right page this layout could be used for any pictures but it is perfect for my pictures the way it is.

Keep well and dream lovely dreams until Saturday when we scrap together again!

An intricate dance…

is what a relationship is.

You sometimes get to choose your partner and sometimes have to accept the partner because it is the loved one of someone who matters a lot to you.  And then the dance begins – sometimes you get it right the first time and you fall into step with your partner and the angels sing!  Sometimes it takes a lot of practise before the angels will start singing and that is also okay…

It is when you or your partner don’t get it right or fall out of step that toes are stepped on and feelings are hurt.  If the partnership is worthwhile you have to start again and learn new steps that both of you can manage and appreciate and create your own special dance all over.

My layout for this week is about a special relationship and I used beautiful paper from Lost and Found and combined it with Basic Grey and 7G for a little whimsy.

I cut up the Basic Grey paper and created a pocket to fill with post cards bound together with Seweasy floss from WeRMemoryKeepers.

Together with the buttons from Lost and Found came some flags that I used to create  bunting in the top left hand corner of my layout.

The paper that I used for the background is my favourite paper in a long time!

Come share the love on Saturday when you will create a layout about a special relationship in your life.

…and they all lived happily ever after

The four of us sat huddled together on the couch.

The boys listened intently to me reading – in character – from Rumpelstilskin:  “……and a small, funny little man entered the room and asked:  Rumpelstilskin, why are you so sad?”  Upon hearing about Rumpelstilskin’s dilemma of having to spin straw into gold before the morning, the funny little man sat down at the spindle and completed the task for her.

For a while we were transported into a world of magic and wonder through the story.

As adults we do not often have the opportunity to be part of this mystic world of magic and wonder.  Aaaah … that feeling of drifting away on a soft cloud with your eyes closed and reality just a distant memory…  But when our family comes together we LIVE a story for a while!

My layout for this week is titled ‘Tell me a story’ and I used old book paper to create fluffy clouds to carry me away 😉  I used pictures of me and my siblings having fun.

The film strip above the zig-zag paper is from a real old movie roll that Frans bought in its case from a second-hand shop!

Postage stamps remind me of the letters we used to have before e-mail and sms’ that brought news and stories from someone else.

I punched flowers from book paper and used it with the stamps and buttons to create clusters on the background that lead the eye from left to right on the layout.

The book paper and film strips tie in with my ‘story’ theme and part of the title sits on a fluffy book paper cloud .

Join my story on Saturday and together we will float away on a cloud of fun…

Hello 2013!

One moment I was leading the race and the next moment my head disappeared under water and I came up spluttering…

We were having fun in the pool after a hectic course of cheese making on Saturday.  My two sisters and three brothers with their husbands and wives decided last year that we wanted to do something together and we chose cheese making since most of us were interested in the process.  Little did we know…

Let’s just say that cheese making is far more involved than I am prepared to invest at this point in time.  But we had loads of fun and after Sunday lunch tried to take a family picture.  I say ‘tried’ because we ended up with a lot of funny, funky pictures… but a proper family portrait?  Well, we’ll just have to try again next time.  Promise!

However, the pictures were perfect for my layout this week 😉

I used stickers from Echo Park and paired it up with paper tape from Bazzil Basics.

Slits in the background provided a place to slip cards with the months of the year and some journaling on it into.  I lined the slits with dotted tape in the same colour as the background that draws the attention to it.

The title was stamped and highlighted with white and I added black shadows when the paint was dry.  Stickers on top of the stamped  title repeat the title for added detail.

Now all that remains to do is to live, love, laugh, pray, play, pause… and then start all over again!

Once upon a time…

(actually just before the end of 2012) in the Drakensberg not too far from home, a Grandpa, Grandma and three grandsons decided to climb one of the peaks.

They took the long way and explored as far as they went.  Up and up they climbed until they came upon a beautiful protea bush in full flower and Grandpa insisted on taking a picture.  He would set up the camera and run to take his place behind Grandma and the boys.  It took some time, but he managed to get this picture 🙂

As soon as Grandpa was happy the boys were running up the mountain again and Grandma came huffing and puffing behind.  Soon they reached the top of the world with views on the most beautiful wetland below.

When Grandma’s huffing and puffing had slowed down enough they set off down the mountain on the other side to take care of some boy’s stuff.  Serious boy’s stuff!

Of course Grandpa kept a watchful eye and every time one of the boys managed to light a set of crackers they scattered in all directions – the anticipation and joy on their faces priceless!

The day ended with the most beautiful sunset and they felt privileged that they were able to enjoy the beauty of this remote spot in the Drakensberg.

A few days later they set the table for their Christmas meal with friends and family.

Then Grandma’s sister and her husband came to visit and the two Grandma’s and Grandpa’s set off exploring (being very adventurous spirits, they couldn’t sit still for long!).  They came upon this waterfall tumbling down a forty-foot gorge with an inviting pool at the end of it.

Inch by inch they made their way down the steep mountainside and when they got to the pool rewarded themselves by getting into the ice-cold mountain water to cool down.

And then 2012 ended with a beautiful sunset.

 

For this year I would like to wish you the best of God’s blessings.

May you be granted the wisdom to figure out the lessons from 2012 and apply them to your life in 2013.

May you be granted the strength to face the adversities that may come your way this year.

May you live an inspired life in 2013.

2012 In Review

I am not going to say it, I refuse!  The end of the year did not sneak up on me and I do not still have a thousand things to do…

Since we finished our biggest project for this year – the Platinum craft market in Rustenburg – I have been out of sorts.  It was the beginning of something new that I really hope will grow  into a very successful undertaking.  At the same time it was the end of a long process of planning and production and being so busy that I had literally functioned on auto-pilot for weeks!  It is only now that I realise how tired I am and how blessed we are to break away to the mountains for a few days to charge depleted batteries…

The market was a huge success and we won an award for the most beautiful hand-made products!!!  I was so humbled when I saw the award displayed at our stall that all I could do was cry 😦  But it was tears of joy and gratitude and only then could I start to relax and enjoy the event.  We came back with some stock left that will be ideal gifts for Xmas and you are welcome to shop on Saturday.

It has been a full year for us with lots of ups and downs.  When I sat down to prepare my layout for Saturday’s class I started thinking about everything that happened this year and decided to call my layout ‘2012 in review’.  What an emotional rollercoaster it turned out to be!

Each of the twelve months have their own pocket filled with tags for journaling and pictures of the family member who has a birthday in that month.

I took the time to explore the events of each month and during some of them I smiled and sometimes I cried.  Often I walked away to finish later because journaling about stuff somehow makes it real again and it is difficult to face emotions you thought you have dealt with and buried.

What I learnt out of this process is three very important lessons:

Lesson 1:  I cannot fix everything

Lesson 2:  I am not God

Lesson 3:  Let go and let God

Nothing new – I have learnt them often before, but somehow I ‘unlearn’ them time and time again.  And God indulges me and lets me work myself into a frenzy and allows me to worry myself sick.  And then, when I cannot bear the load alone any more and fall down on my knees He takes my hand and leads the way.

Be warned: this seems like an easy layout and in the practical sense it is, but you have to dig deep and it takes courage to journal honestly about the people and events closest to you!

Looking forward to an amazing morning with you on Saturday 🙂