Holls

It's a tough old life! This is the view I have had to put up with for the last week:) Our holls in Fuertaventura were wonderful! There is much beauty there, and much to inspire the artist/scrapbooker in me. We rented a villa with some good friends so had a lovely pool to ourselves. We flew with Ryan air- and the flights were great! (Do I sound surprised?) It felt good to feel the warmth of the sun, but it's always nice to get home again. There is something so comforting about sleeping in your own bed!

Altered Storage

Here's a storage unit I got from Ikea a few years ago. It's been fab, but I got fed up with how it looked so I have given it a makeover!! It was a quick and fun project to do. I just used scraps of paper, and some mostly hand made embellishments.

I had a lovely day at the crop today. There were around 15 of us there, and Skrapz came to provide our shop. I think they may have been more stash buying than stash using going on!! Thanks for a great day everyone:)

Saturday's Crop

I'm really looking forward to our January crop! I am not doing a class this time, but there will be a demo that I am excited about:) Who knew what could be done with a glue gun?? I bought a new book that has inspired me so I will be showing that too. Ann from Skrapz is coming with her crop shop- can't wait to see what she brings. Have a look at her website for a sneak preview, www.skrapz.co.uk If you see anything that you would definitely like Ann to bring email her and she will happily oblige. See you Saturday!

Else and Walley, a tribute!

I used a piece of canvas as my base, which I swiped with Ranger distress ink and blended with a foam brush dipped in water. It gives a nice aged effect. I used a lace edged damask doiley which glued on fine with PVA. I photocopied some flower cigarette cards as an embellishment and hand wrote the text that stood out to me "Don't forget me, will you?" I stitched some old buttons on to make a bunch of 'flowers'. To give it a more aged feel, I ruffed up the edges. That was fun! I loved doing this piece, its great when you feel totally free to just play with your creativity.

Old Postcards

I love browsing in charity shops! Kevin looks at books, because he obviously hasn't got enough to read (about 40 waiting!!) but I look for old buttons and postcards. I found this one in Oxfam in Stafford, and it has really captured my imagination. I love how a postcard gives you a snippet of someones life, and when the postcards are maybe 100 years old, it also tells you something about social history. This postcard from 1911 identifies one of the puppies by a x. Else says "My darling Walley, doesn't the puppy marked look like mine? Which one would you like? Don't forget me will you? from loving Else." Well I want to know what happened! Did Else ever see her beau again? Did Walley survive the forthcoming 1st world war? I've made up my own story about it all! What a drama. These old documents inspire me. I'm making a piece to celebrate the lives of Else and Walley, in their honour.

Pressies and goals

I must have been really good last year because I got some lovely pressies! I had 2 hand made gifts that mean a lot to me that I thought I would share with you. My son Matt and my daughter-in-law Martha have a great creative thing going on. He loves photography and has a really nice camera outfit. Martha is a natural at arty crafty things, and my granddaughter Phoebe is a natural little actress! The combination is brilliant! I cried when I got this present. It's based on the 'hear no evil, see no evil, speak no evil' idea. Love it!

The other pressy was from my dear friend Linda. She made me a monthly goal setting book for 2009. Each month has an inspiring quote, paper to record my goals, and then ribbon tied papers to write my achievements. I love it, and its so perfect for me because annual goals don't work for me! I need frequent reminders: ) I am in the process of considering my goals and have some that I am excited about. I love going into a new year with enthusiasm for the possibilities it holds. Come on 2009!

Christmas

Happy Christmas everyone! I hope you are enjoying the best things of the season. For me, I find great peace and strength from my spiritual beliefs at this special time of year. We have attended a carol service this evening which was lovely, it set the tone for the next few days. I LOVE being with the family, playing games, making memories. This year will be a little different- just Kevin and I for the morning, so I have been promised breakfast in bed:) Then we have Kevin's mum, and our daughter Becky and Kev round for dinner. Nick and Rachel are joining us for the evening, as are my mum and dad. Boxing day will be all the above, plus Matt, Martha and the children. I'm excited! It's hard work getting everything ready, as you know! I have been taking some time out to relax- as you can see from the picture! Merry Christmas to you. Thank you for joining me on my journey over the last year- and here's to another, even better one to come!