Remember

I can't believe I have finally found my mojo during the weekend & made a layout!! The mojo normally strikes me on the way to work or just as I leave to go shopping, upon my return, the energy is gone & the mojo with it. I have now completed 8 weeks in my new job & during that 8 weeks I have done lots of reading & study & taking 20 different online courses, passing all but a couple which were too advanced for me. I did them to give myself an indication of what I didn't know yet. I have enjoyed it all & have taken some additional reading onboard. I am still excited & happy every day & as one of my online friends said, my energy is all streamed towards my learning. So this layout sort of came out of the blue today. I have wanted to scrap these three photos of my sister & I for ages but never really had suitable materials. This page is made entirely from my recent SC kit Iconic & add ons Audrey & Marilyn. The papers are October Afternoon's, Hometown Norm's News, American crafts', What's Happening? & Pretty. The exception is the two green flowers which I took from the Air Mail kit. The new kit Looking Glass & add on Tweedledee, will soon be winging itself towards me so thought I really ought to use some of this scrap goodness up. Mind you, I told someone the way I see it, is if I don't use it when it arrives, at least I know I always have something totally gorgeous for a rainy day!! Photos were taken by our dad, around 1969/1970 time.

Time to love

I have had terrible problems with the internet & getting onto my blog. So I really didn't think I would ever get these pages on before the next ones!

Time to love this week & I just love my ability to make things that give others pleasure. I have been commissioned to make many things but this minibook always stands out. I made my first one for myself as "instant Xmas" but knew this would be the perfect gift when asked by Godparents for something different to give to their Goddaughter. I painted a cheese triangle box pink, lined the inside with pink tissue & made a circle book attached with ribbon that pulls out to display photos & poems on both sides. This book was completed on 9th October 2006, so it is almost 2 years ago now, where has the time gone? The word page is made from a section of a rubber stamp & the word love is black doodlebug rub ons.

I'm on a day's holiday from work today, waiting for a new gas meter to be fitted. Have been very industrious too, got all my net curtains washed, all windows cleaned inside & then I put up my winter lined curtains & washed my hair. So I think that justifys some crafting time this afternoon & I am beginning work on something for my sister, Tracy. Just waiting on 3 more photos from her.

Those Were The Days

Not a brilliant photo, the light is so bright it upsets the camera, can't win eh!

I started this last weekend & decided I couldn't add anything further without spoiling it. The photo is of my sister (front) & myself ,back in the carefree days of our childhood enjoying a bit of acrobatics on the lawn! As you can see, Tracy was far better at the crab than myself. All papers from my SC Iconic kit. The journalling is hidden behind the photo as I didn't want to share it. Title was made with the stamp that came in the kit.

Another Slidemailer

With work taking up so much time I am not getting much made. I find when I have time my inspiration is totally lacking but yesterday, I was going through my computer files doing some clearing up & found pictures of things I have not shared on my blog. I couldn't access blogger for 3 days, but thanks to Greg of Studio Calico, my system is no longer refusing to allow me on to my blog. This mailer ws made last year & I never considered it good enough to share & I had fully intended to mail the pictures to Crafty Individuals to add to the gallery where some of my other work resides. It was hand painted in thistle pink emulsion & then I used gold acrylic applied with a natural sponge. I had no problems with the acetate image unlike my latest one & no glue shows!!

This is a box I made for it to live in, I got the idea from a very old Crafts Beautiful magazine.

Time to learn

Life is full of lessons we need to learn & we choose to learn. As part of my new job I am having to learn about all aspects of Insurance. My current subject Travel Insurance. I found the picure of the map on the net & added the words Travel Insurance in my photo editing program. The cardstock is some new Core'dinations colourcore in Nostalgia collection. You can sand, tear or antique it to show the gorgeous dual colour.

As for lessons we need to learn, we often only realise when something tragic happens how important it is to enjoy every day, love yourself, love your friends & family, and if like me you are a crafter, make the memories last. A lady called Aleida, who I came into contact with on the Studio Calico kit site, tragically lost her life in a road accident on Friday morning. It appears the accident happened through someone's negligent driving. They jumped a red light, ploughing into this ladies car & killed her. Her small children are left without their mum & her husband has lost his life partner all because someone couldn't be bothered to wait a few more minutes.

I shed a few tears for this lovely lady that i barely knew and made sure i went to see my dear friend Colette, who i miss but struggle to visit often enough. So everyone needs to make sure they tell those that matter just how much because all too soon things could change.

Slidemailer

I made this over the weekend, but it didn't turn out as planned. I managed to get air bubbles between my acetate image & piece of glass so no matter what direction it stands, you can see them. So I will have to make another at the weekend as this was meant as a gift for someone! The colour didn't go to plan to begin with but I'm rather pleased with it now. The stamps are designed by my forum friend, Penny (Penibear) & I got them from the SSP Guild of which I am a member.

Baby Card & Time pages

First I'll start this post by showing a card I made some time ago now for a dear blog friend. Congratulations Micayla & Steve on the birth of your sweet daughter, Emily. I know they have got the card now so I can blog it. I made the card using some scraps of Via Airmail SC kit & hand stitched all around before rubbing gently with a pink pad.

Time for Happiness... very hard to pick one photo for this as you probably know HAPPY is my word & I have a minibook taking shape at design stage to depict just what makes this girl happy.

This bag is one of many things. It's not just the bag I love, but the memories it brings when I see it as it was a fabulous day, the day I bought it. My sister, Tracy & I were tipsy after a boozy long lunch & were partners in crime, I got expensive Radley bag, she, Billy shoes then we fell asleep exhausted!!!
Time to trust... I have to have a great deal of trust in myself right now to study hard & learn all that i have to in the next 6 months as it is very important for the next step in my career. My job is going so very well I haven't felt this happy since I worked for my sister 6 years ago. Life is a funny old thing & its odd how things turn out. I would have given anything to keep the life that I had, but it wasn't to be. Now, though I have developed strength & confidence to push for something just as good and.....I'm getting there.

The page was made using ink sponged over some sequin waste. The photo is of my books that I fill every day.

MIA

Sorry if I've been a bit quiet. I had my sister, Tracy come to stay for the weekend. She lives up in Newcastle & as its a while since she stayed over we did girly things. I went to Ikea to buy some very much needed bedroom storage as my clothes live on the spare bed. So you can imagine the fun I had trying to square the place up so Tracy could actually sleep in her room!! I have spent the last two evenings putting together my two new chest of drawers between studying & feeding myself.
My job is going very well & I am learning so much stuff I never thought possible. I plan to spend the weekend crafting and hopefully getting some sleep as the world & his wife have done there best to keep me awake in the small hours two days running. Tracy & I didn't exactly go to bed before we had turned into pumpkins but we had a lot of talking to do ;)