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This shows the close up of the buttons I used.This is the last share tonight as I am tired and need to go to bed. It has been very hot gere today-around 38 degrees celcius. I went for a swim early afternoon and cooled off. I have just on finished my reports and only have a few things to do to them now. About an hours work or a liitle more.
Once again another layout using diamonds. I made the diamond shape as a template and then cut out the diamond and stripe papers. The buttons are chipboard buttons covered in the cardstock.
I like this layout of Amanda. I did a lesson recently at Pecky's and at the Church crop the other week on using diamond papers. Many people have problems using these so I came up with lots if ideas.
This is a bright layout by me.Mel told me it isn't my usual style because I don't usually do layouts this bright.The blue was the perfect blue to match Amanda's jumper.
I feel like Mr Wilson in Dennis the Menace. I was given a cutting of a cactus many years ago, put it in a pot and left it. To my utter joy and amazement the following year it bloomed like no other bloom I have in the garden. I was so excited.Each year this beautiful bloom occurs. As the cactus grows I get more blooms. it is one of those plants you forget about all year but around november every year it blooms for a week and that is it. Gone for another year.
Just a simple layout showing Cooper eating his solids-these were the early days of his new solid eating adventure.
There is nothing nicer than the bond we share with our children. I did this layout when i was up at Amanda's last school holidays.
This is a Make and Take I am doing with my crop group this Saturday at Pecky's. It should be a fun one and I enjoyed doing it. A lot of work but most enjoyable.I have used Scrapbooking Australia papers. Love their new range of papers-Under the Sun.
Another day and I am so snowed under with school work etc. I am so over school at the moment.I am sick of people who don't do their share and all the paper work that is getting more and more every year. It never used to be like this when i first started teaching way back in 1976. Boy, have been around for a long time. LOL. I have friends overseas and they have said the same thing. After this week i will have more time because the reports will be done and i will have time to play-I hope anyway.
Where has the time gone to? I haven't been on here in ages as I have been so busy with school and business.Another 3 weeks of marking and reports and then I will be done with marking and reports this year. Still lessons to teach and year 12 to work with.
Since I last wrote so many good and sad things have happened.
1. My dear friend Melba lost her health battle and her funeral was last Wednesday 8th November. I just loved this lady and I know I will always miss her. Some people come into your lives and touch a special place in your heart and Melba was one of those people.She was a great scrapbooking friend and camps and crops will never be the same again. I have known Melba for 6 years now and wish I had of had more time with her. But as the saying goes " better to have had her for a short time in my life than not at all."Well this is my saying.
2. The day after the funeral was the anniversary of another dear friend of mine Dave's death. Dave had been in my life for over 20 years and he was the husband of a dear friend of mine Ros who used to be my English penfriend but they both immigrated here in 1988. Ros and I have been friends for 43 years. I felt more sad a year after Dave's death than I did last year. I think this was because last year it was a relief that he was no longer in pain and battling. I miss his wit and sense of humour and our long chats.
Life is so difficult.
3.We did a fantstic Camp at Wiseman's ferry and met some great people. Have done crop days down at Nowra,Pecky's and Melanie's Church. All of which were great fun.
Lets hope I don't leave it so long before I write again.
I cut some of the flowers out on my sizzixx in chipboard and then covered them with Basic Grey. The other flowers were chipboard in a pack. I like the doodling that is around now-reminds me of when i was at school and I used to doodle all the time. I still do when i am in meetings etc.
Cooper and I at the party we went to on the Sunday.
I went wild witht he flowers but then I love flowers and love red.
showing the fabric bows I created. It is amazing how in my huge stash of fabric I had the perfect match for the green and it was an unusual green.
Cooper was the centre of attention at the party we went o one Sunday. He lapped up all the attention. He gooed and garred when he was supposed to. He is such a happy little boy.
Amanda took this photo of Cooper and sent it to me over the net. She knows how much I miss him when I don't see him. Both my grandchildren call me Mama-well Cooper doesn't yet but he will. LOL.I laughed when I received it.
Where are the school holidays going to????????? I still have heaps of marking and reports to write but I am not in the mood for them. I am going to have to get in the mood.
I arrived home Monday and Tuesday I had a group of friends over for a crop day. We had a good time as usual with all the bantering and fun and we laughed alot which is always good for the soul.
I knees are getting worse and on Tuesday I was in so much pain that I went to the doctors on Tuesday night-it was a 2 and a half hour wait-I didn't get to see my normal doctor but this one was lovely and so kind and gentle and thorough. I have ligament problems which i already knew and he thinks like me I also have arthritis. So i will be having some x-rays done.
Yesterday I only went out for a short while with a friend to look at a conference centre.
Just a simple layout of Cooper using the rub ons and some flowers and ribbons. Every layout can't be a work of art-lol.
I smile everytime I look at this dragonfly because Jessica told me about it before I received it. Children, some can keep a secret and some can't. She knows I love dragonflies so when Melanie asks her what she wants to get me she usually says something with a draogonfly.
Anyway it was still a surprise because I didn't know what the dragonfly was going to be.
Well school holidays are almost over, well over half over-still heaps to do including marking.
The long weekend we went away witht he 4x4 club and we had a ball as usual. I helped organise the kids activities and that went down well. I was pleased about that. I also went up to Amanda's place for the week and got home tonight. Had a nice time with her little Cooper who is growing and getting cuter each time I see him.
I did 20 pages while up there-each night instead of watching TV and sometimes during the day I just scrapped away. I will include the layout here a few at a time.
Tomorrow is a crop day at my place with a group of friends. We always have a lovely time.
I feel like being bright tonight.
This one I used sandpaper around the edges and mounted the heart for a dimentional look. A few brads also looks good on the bottom to emphasise LOVE.
Another thing I enjoy doing is making my own frames for layouts or photo frames etc. I like the Bazzill metallic cardstock as it lends itself to so may altering techniques. I used STAZON ink on the metallic card as some of the other inks don't dry on it. I stamped LOVE and inked around the edges.
At camp we supplied the ladies with the chipboard and the inserts to make these little photo albums which were fantastic and everybody enjoyed doing. Here a few I have done.
Had a fantastic time at camp the other weekend. I did my mask lesson and it was popular again. People like the masks as much as I do. LOL. They are very versatile. Met some fantastic ladies and it was so good to see children scrapbooking with their mums. My saying is "a family that scraps together STICKS together" LOL.
Went into Sydney yesterday to the fair which was fantastic. Boy are there some fantastic products out there in all areas of life. Was a lovely day at Darling Harbour having lunch and watching Jess play in the park.
Another canvas of Cooper. This time I used texture paste and layed the fibre into it and when dried I painted the fibre and the canvas.
I also used wire and threaded beads onto it and screwed it into the bottom of the canvas.
When we did theis canvas at school the kids asked me if the 2 babies were twins. LOL Same baby.
I have been playing around with canvases lately and there you go again my favourite, masks. I feel this one needs something in the top right hand corner. I will think about this.
Another layout done using the foam block. I scrunched up paper and made a border by pressing the foam into the paper and then inking and stamping.
The flowers were made from a metal embellishment by MM.
This was a fun layout to do.
I have a new favourite tool-this foam block that you heat and make your own stamps. All you have to do is reheat and the indentation goes away. I am going to demonstrate this at the next camp i am doing.
The leaf stamp that I made was from buttons. I had 2 sizes so I heated the block, pressed the buttons into the block and then inked the block and then stamped.
Shirley was my cousin I knew only for a brief time. I wished I had of known her longer. She had a sense of humour like me. Well that was dangerous LOL. Shirley died of cancer. She had it in her leg-hence the walking sticks.
Boy have I had a busy weekend. Saturday Melanie and I went down to Nowra for our crop and we took our shop-I should be poet LOL. I did 2 demonstrations and they went well especially the mask class. I sold practically all my masks but what thrilled me the most was the number of ladies who went and did some masks on their pages and showed me. I was so impressed and thrilled.
We laft there around 11pm and got home 1am sunday morning. Mela nd I had a few drinks and then went to bed. I found it hard to sleep.
I was up early the next morning and emptied Brian's car and then set out to The Crop for a Cure. Was nice meeting up with friends there and meeting new people.
Then it was home and up to Mel's church for the seminars we are doing there. We brought Jess home with us so Mel could work the next day.
I had alovely time with Jess today and I wore her out. She is so funny. Now this little girl has a strange grandmother-LOL Thats me!!! I have false teeth-well 2 anyway that i pull out to cleana nd she always has something to say about that and I have a tatoo of a rose on my hip and she always wants to have a look at my stampa nd has soemthing to say about that. Then this morning she came into our room at 6 and both Brian and i were asleepa nd because I have sleep apnea I wear a mask which is attached to my breathing machine and she stopped dead in her tracks when she saw this on me. So now she has something else to ask me about. I don't think there is anything else strange about me -that is to a little child LOL.
Once again i have been Masking with Heidi Swapp masks but this time with alphabet Masks. I painted over the alphabet with a watered down paint. You ahve to be careful it doesn't run underneath so care needs to be taken.I have sewn ribbon around the edges of the cardstock.
This felt hat I made years ago when i was learning how to make felt. Jess saw it in the bedroom she sleps in at my place and put it on her head and was prouncing about being funny in it. I had to capture the moment as it was so funny and special. She didn't want to take it off.
This shows the flower up close and personal LOL.
Jess loves pink.The bows are made out of fabric and so is the monogram of J. i machine stitched around the edges of the cardstock with a fancy stitch.
Another Mask layout. These masks are getting a work out. LOL. This time I traced around the mask with a white gel pen and then stuck a Heidi Swapp puffy in the middle. I like this effect.
As I sit here thinking I wonder what this week will bring. Last week was a very sad week-especially with the death of Steve Irwin who has done so much for Australia and Australian wildlife. Then Peter Brock who on all accounts was a really nice man. Today in Australia is Setember 11th and this brings home the thoughts on terrorists. I am now 54 and the past few years have been the worst in my life when it comes to saddness and tragedy on a global scale. I wonder why people need to be so cruel and hungry for power.
Lets hope this week will be a better week with more good news than bad.
I had a nice birthday dinner. Brian and I went to Parramatta and went to a Korean Restaurant.I have never had Korean before but I will in the future. It was very tastey and different to other Asian cuisines. The side dishes were very nice. I liked the alcoholic drink called Sojo-tasted like gin but is made from potatoes. The man who ran the restaurant was very nice and friendly.
Afterwards we thought we would listen to a band but they came on too late. We did have a few drinks. Then went and had Gelato which was yummy. I ordered 7 scoops because I couldn't make up my mind. It was to share so I wasn't completely greedy. There were heaps to choose from-I will be going back there again.
I wore one pair of my new shoes-well derrrrrrrrrr as if I would wear the 2 pairs.They were very comfortable.
Had lots of phone calls and e-mail messages today. Was nice to be spoiled.
Friday night was a nice night also. I went to a retirement dinner for Annette. Annette was our lab assistant for many years when I was teaching at another High school. We have always stayed in contact over the years and now plan on having coffee after school because she lives not far from the school I teach in now. We have been friends since 1983.
Once again I have been Masking. I painted the whole Mask in black over a white background and did touch ups in blue and white around the edges. i also used part of the mask in green on the corners. The centre of the flowers I have used Bazzill Big Brads with fibre poking out from behind.
Down the bottom I cut out a separate masked flower.
I love this photo of Cooper. He has grown so much.
My favourite thing to do at the moment in scrapbooking is using Masks. I have a few Heidi Swapp Masks and have been doing all kinds of things with them. In this layout I used black paint over the whole mask and then painted the white parts blue and green as seen in the cutout. I then cut it out and used Bazzill big brads as the centre.
I love these photos of Amanda-they show how attractive she is and the blue really suits her complexion and hair.
Keep on BLOOMING!!!!!!!!!
Here are 2 books I made as a" make and take" class at the last crop I did at Pecky's before Father's Day. I also did it at school with the students in my craft class. Both groups enjoyed doing them. Inside is a pocket and a notepad. Instead of buying cards that often get thrown away, I thought it would be better to make these which dad can use and keep. One lady who made them at the crop couldn't wait until Father's day to give them to her husband. I was thrilled at this as it meant she liked what she made. Isn't this what life is all about "making somebody feel good about what they have made"-this is one of my reasons I teach these classes and am in the scrapbooking business.
