Word collages - Love Truly

I initially made a word collage as a gift for a friend last summer. My first word collage took quite a few tries to get the colour combination that appealed to me. The words in this word collage are phrases that kind of sum up my views of life.

This is the first one I made. I put it in a frame and hung it in may kitchen for a few days to see if it was the one I was going to gift - it was not.

I like this colour combination (the one below), but as I stuck it down, a little of the glue seeped out - so I ended up not gifting this but kept it for myself. So I have this till today hanging in my kitchen.

This one below is the final colour combination that I finally decided upon. I do not have a picture of it framed. I cut out the 'Love Truly' in velvet paper to make it a little special.

Since then I have made a few more as everyone who saw it hanging in my kitchen liked it so much that I made them one to order - as in the colours that would suit the room in which they were going to hang it in. I wish I had taken pictures of each and everyone of them. I shall next time.

Thank you and farewell cards

As always I've made thank you cards for all the presents received and here the one I made for this year.

I made fifteen and got the boys to sign their names after I wrote the card. They love getting involved. Aiden chose the colour combination for this card. I told him to choose three colours and these were the ones he chose and I came up with a card. As you can see I am currently partial to the chevron pattern! I used Tim Holtz distressed inks for this card - peeled paint, spiced marmalade and chipped sapphire. The circular 'Thank You' stamp is from Hero Arts.

The following is a farewell card that I made for a member of my team that left just before the Christmas break. Some basic stamping and colouring with Inktense colour pencils and running a water brush (carefully!) over the coloured areas.

Oh geez, I have not shared the Christmas cards I made this year. Hope I had taken pictures of them. That'll be the next post. Not quite in the chronological order, but hey ho. G'night.

2013 Calendar

This is my first post for the year. Happy new year to all.

I hope to post more often this year...need to manage my time better I guess. Anyhow I have done my yearly calendar. Usually it is full of digital die cutting elements, but this year it is all stamping, even the days of each month. Sat in front of the TV and completed the days and dates in a night and the rest on the next night...my best craft time is when the boys are in bed as there will be no interruptions. So here it is...

The boys wanted to sign their names on the final cover page and so they did:) Luke is just about getting the 'e' the right way around.

That's all for now. Will post more over the week. Goodnight.

Rules of Life

I was sent this today and I thought I'd share it...read on...

Written by a 90 year old

This is something we should all read at least once a week. Make sure you read to the end!

Written by Regina Brett, 90 years old, of the Plain Dealer, Cleveland , Ohio

"To celebrate growing older, I once wrote the 45 lessons life taught me. It is the most requested column I've ever written. My odometer rolled over to 90 in August, so here is the column once more:

1. Life isn't fair, but it's still good.

2. When in doubt, just take the next small step.

3. Life is too short – enjoy it.

4. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends and family will.

5. Pay off your credit cards every month.

6. You don't have to win every argument. Stay true to yourself.

7. Cry with someone. It's more healing than crying alone.

8. It's OK to get angry with God. He can take it.

9. Save for retirement starting with your first paycheck.

10. When it comes to chocolate, resistance is futile.

11. Make peace with your past so it won't screw up the present.

12. It's OK to let your children see you cry.

13. Don't compare your life to others. You have no idea what their journey is all about.

14. If a relationship has to be a secret, you shouldn't be in it.

15. Everything can change in the blink of an eye But don't worry; God never blinks.

16. Take a deep breath. It calms the mind.

17. Get rid of anything that isn't useful. Clutter weighs you down in many ways.

18. Whatever doesn't kill you really does make you stronger.

19. It's never too late to be happy. But it’s all up to you and no one else.

20. When it comes to going after what you love in life, don't take no for an answer.

21. Burn the candles, use the nice sheets, wear the fancy lingerie. Don't save it for a special occasion. Today is special.

22. Over prepare, then go with the flow.

23. Be eccentric now. Don't wait for old age to wear purple.

24. The most important sex organ is the brain.

25. No one is in charge of your happiness but you.

26. Frame every so-called disaster with these words 'In five years, will this matter?'

27. Always choose life.

28. Forgive but don’t forget.

29. What other people think of you is none of your business.

30. Time heals almost everything. Give time time.

31. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.

32. Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.

33. Believe in miracles.

34. God loves you because of who God is, not because of anything you did or didn't do.

35. Don't audit life. Show up and make the most of it now.

36. Growing old beats the alternative -- dying young.

37. Your children get only one childhood.

38. All that truly matters in the end is that you loved.

39. Get outside every day. Miracles are waiting everywhere.

40. If we all threw our problems in a pile and saw everyone else's, we'd grab ours back.

41. Envy is a waste of time. Accept what you already have not what you need.

42. The best is yet to come...

43. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.

44. Yield.

45. Life isn't tied with a bow, but it's still a gift."

Hope you got something from the above. Goodnight.

Olympics mania in my house

The Olympics has had quite an impact on my boys, Aiden and Luke. They seem taken with three events - track (sprinting), long jump and high jump. They run their 'laps' around the dining table and use the scattered cushions for the long and high jumps. I've promised to take them to the Commonwealth Games in 2014. In the meantime they want to attend some sort of a sports class where they can get stronger and faster. My come back to that was of course they had to finish all of their meals and that will make them stronger and faster - the one thing my boys do not have an issue with is eating their vegetables. I attribute that part of their eating habits largely to Annabel Karmel's children's recipe book which I used religiously for their first two years at least.

They also saw the Closing Ceremony and are totally into One Direction and this is their favourite song. They do not understand the lyrics obviously, but it is so adorable to see them dance to the song anyway.

Well this is a short post and hope to post more frequently.

Goodnight.

Views from playground of new abode

We went to see the house on Saturday morn and then took the kids to the playground which is a five minute walk from the house. I see myself taking the boys here most weekends when weather permits of course. 

Luke keeps talking about going for a swim in the lake...despite my chat with him. I'm going to have to watch him closely, just in case he thinks of going ahead with his plan!

 The boys with cousin, Priya (who is quite the poser:)

 Priya leading the way...

 Wonder where Priya got the 'posing' genes from?

Loads of de-cluttering and packing to be done. Having Mother's Day dinner with the Smalls tonight. My contribution is dessert - vanilla yoghurt pannacotta with strawberry jelly. Will take a picture of it for posting later.

Long post with random stuff

It is a Saturday night and I am making up for not posting for a long time. As I have time on my hands tonight, here is a long post on pics of my boys (and I am in some of the pics too for a change) and some cards I made over the last nine months....I know it was a long time ago:)

I start with pics of my boys:

Luke and I 

Aiden and I 

Luke at bedtime

Aiden and Luke before a fancy dress party...Sam's I think. 

 Stephen, Diana and Priya at Stephen's impromptu 39th birthday dinner on 26 Jan 2012. 

The boys and I at Stephen's impromptu birthday dinner on 26 Jan 2012.

My tired wee boy, Luke after an exciting day at nursery as a 'tiger' 

Aiden and Luke at Aiden's Tae Kwon Do graduation in Nov 2011. 

 I made this cards for Fiona's parents' 50th wedding anniversary (a very rare thing nowadays). I know they are not the usual colours for a golden anniversary card but I thought making a heart with 50 buttons captures the essence of the celebration:)

A birthday card for my twin sister. 

 A birthday card for my younger sister. As all of our birthdays are in Oct, I tend to make similar cards.

A birthday card for Aiden's wee friend. 

Below are Easter cards I made for Easter 2011. As Ash Wed is on 22 Feb 2012 i.e. the start of Lent, I thought I'd post some Easter cards too.

This is the inside of the card I made for a friend who moved home in Nov 2011. The back of the new address has a magnetic strip that can be stuck to the fridge. 

 This is the front of the 'Just Moved' card.

 I made these thank you cards for David and Donnamarie when they had their twin girls in Feb 2011. In fact I just attended the twins' first birthday party last weekend. How time flies?!

I can't remember what I got them but this is the gift that I wrapped for David and Donnamarie's twin girls, Holly and Maci. 

 Thank you cards for Aiden's birthday.

 First Holy Communion card for Leigh...a wee while ago.

That's all for now. Time to retire.