This event will be held at the Sheraton in Perth on the 27th of July.
This second Scrap-IT is organized to raise funds for Alzheimer's Research, check out their site for details.
Scraptivate will be there as will all of the staff and it sounds like some exciting things are being planned!
:)
of course is Mother's day! And what did my day look like? Heaps of cuddles this morning, after being bombarded with drawings and handmade cards... then coffee in bed which was just great and then reading through an awesome book about Native Indians and their shaman rituals etc. while the rest of my sweet family was busy in the kitchen! I can't remember what the title is at the moment but since I am really interested in this sort of thing I'm sure I will read it within a day.. Or maybe a week.
Then... pancakes with fresh fruit for breakfast! Yum yum.. Being spoilt feels great I must admit. ;)
We drove up to Yanchep National Park, to see some koala's and as we got there a group of kangaroos crossed the road. For some reason seeing kangaroos always makes me feel happy.
We had an absolute lovely and enjoyable time just hanging around and I feel so blessed and extremely lucky to be in the position I am in. These girls make my life so rich and challenging, amazing and joyous. I have definitely set out on a different journey since becoming a mum!
To all the mums out there who are trying to do everything in the best interest of their kids; I respect you and I admire you. The strength needed to be a mum is unfortunately very often undervalued. To succeed in being balanced within our own lives is one wish I have and I think I share this wish with many women.
To my own mum; ik hoef jou niet te vertellen zo 'en public' wat ik voor je voel en hoe ik over je denk :) je weet het toch wel ;)
May your next year (as a mum) be filled with love and laughter, sunshine and blessings. And make sure to look after yourself as well as after your kids ;)
Not much to say... not much happening... although... had lots of fun this morning picking up stuff for my workshops! A car full of canvas - that was fun. Also drove by Scraptivate and they have got some lovely new stuff in, and the shop is looking great as always.
The Art Journal classes might start running more frequently too, which would be great.
Got some new updates in my Etsy shop too.. Decided to put the house magnets in which were published in the latest Scrapbook Creations... I think the next issue is about to come out again.
Gonna leave you with that ;) Take care!
A couple of weeks ago Karen asked me if I would be interested in joining the girls at creative Therapy and of course I said yes. The girls do something that I stand for and I am honoured to have been asked. I love the idea of creating to deal with stuff. Just stuff. Sometimes simple every day type stuff and sometimes the things in life which go so much deeper come out and pour onto our pages. It's a great way of exploring your own inner being and also your opinion of things, people or life in general. Anyway. Thanks Karen.
And then... some exciting new additions to my etsy shop! This is also some of the material we will be using in my Mixed Media Canvas workshop. There are still places available, so if anyone is interested, please contact me. You don't necessarily need to pay with paypal, so don't let that button scare you off! Rach is already very excitedly planning the menu and I am in the midst of organizing materials (and being very excited at the same time about my finds!)
Doesn't that look just fabulous? This is also the silk I used for my happy tree. Maybe I should turn that into a workshop? Would anyone be interested? Email me if you are ;)
Today is my mum's birthday. My heart aches because I cannot give her a hug, today even more so than other days. This beautiful woman has shaped my morals and values in life. She has provided me with solid grounds to build on and given me opportunities to create when I was younger. She has always (and I mean always) encouraged me to be me. To leap into the unknown and trust in my own strengths. She encouraged me to believe in my dreams, to believe in my inner voice and to believe in my soul. She has always believed in me too. Even though I have had some wild ideas over the years...
{we wensen je een hele fijne dag lieve nelleke en ik hoop dat we je nog even aan de telefoon kunnen krijgen!}
Last week sometime I took the girls to Remida to source some materials for an idea I've had for a while now... in our family unit they are called "happy trees"! During the school holidays we got creative and with lots of wire, tree branches and beautiful satin fabric we made our happy trees, which are now throughout our house.
Here's some pics of mine...
So lovely to have an inspirational happy tree like this in our living area. I think I might create another one, for in my work space...
Well... this is very VERY exciting for me! I have finally taken the plunge to organize a workshop myself and the outcome will determine if there will be more!! Let's see how we go!!
If you look at the side bar on the right, at the top there should be a link to a Workshop Area, this is where you can find more information about the type of workshop, location etc. It's going to be a full day workshop, lots of fun, experimenting and my sweet friend Rach will take care of lunch and morning tea (and some of my students know first hand how good her cooking skills are!!).
Places are limited, so please contact me direct with your booking!
{eta: I'm trying to get the info up right now, but my computer is being funny... stay tuned}
This morning I came across this blog post from Michael at Compendium. It totally inspired me to think differently about stuff.
Have a read:
1 - First Important Lesson - Cleaning Lady.
During my
second month of college, our professor gave us a pop quiz. I was a
conscientious student and had breezed through the questions until I
read the last one: "What is the first name of the woman who cleans the
school?"
Surely this was some kind of joke. I had seen the
cleaning woman several times. She was tall, dark-haired and in her
50's, but how would I know her name? I handed in my paper, leaving the
last question blank. Just before class ended, one student asked if the
last question would count toward our quiz grade. "Absolutely, " said
the professor. "In your careers, you will meet many people. All are
significant. They deserve your attention and care, even if all you do
is smile and say "hello."
I've never forgotten that lesson. I also learned her name was Dorothy.
2. - Second Important Lesson - Pickup in the Rain
One
night, at 11:30 p.m., an older African American woman was standing on
the side of an Alabama highway trying to endure a lashing rain storm.
Her car had broken down and she desperately needed a ride.
Soaking wet, she decided to flag down the next car. A young white man
stopped to help her, generally unheard of in those conflict-filled
1960's. The man took her to safety, helped her get assistance and put
her into a taxicab.
She seemed to be in a big hurry, but wrote
down his address and thanked him. Seven days went by and a knock came
on the man's door. To his surprise, a giant console color TV was
delivered to his home. A special note was attached. It read: "Thank you
so much for assisting me on the highway the other night. The rain
drenched not only my clothes, but also my spirits. Then you came along.
Because of you, I was able to make it to my dying husband's bedside
just before he passed away... God bless you for helping me and
unselfishly serving others."
Sincerely,
Mrs. Nat King Cole.
3 - Third Important Lesson - Always remember those who serve .
In
the days when an ice cream sundae cost much less, a 10-year-old boy
entered a hotel coffee shop and sat at a table. A waitress put a glass
of water in front of him. "How much is an ice cream sundae?" he asked.
"Fifty cents," replied the waitress. The little boy pulled is hand out
of his pocket and studied the coins in it. "Well, how much is a plain
dish of ice cream?" he inquired. By now more people were waiting for a
table and the waitress was growing impatient. " Thirty-five cents," she
brusquely replied. The little boy again counted his coins. "I'll have
the plain ice cream," he said.
The waitress brought the ice
cream, put the bill on the table and walked away The boy finished the
ice cream, paid the cashier and left. When the waitress came back, she
began to cry as she wiped down the table. There, placed neatly beside
the empty dish, were two nickels and five pennies..
You see, he couldn't have the sundae, because he had to have enough left to leave her a tip.
4 - Fourth Important Lesson. - The obstacle in Our Path.
In
ancient times, a King had a boulder placed on a roadway Then he hid
himself and watched to see if anyone would remove the huge rock.
Some
of the king's wealthiest merchants and courtiers came by and simply
walked around it. Many loudly blamed the King for not keeping the roads
clear, but none did anything about getting the stone out of the way.
Then
a peasant came along carrying a load of vegetables. Upon approaching
the boulder, the peasant laid down his burden and tried to move the
stone to the side of the road. After much pushing and straining, he
finally succeeded.
After the peasant picked up his load of
vegetables, he noticed a purse lying in the road where the boulder had
been. The purse contained many gold coins and a note from the King
indicating that the gold was for the person who removed the boulder
from the roadway.
The peasant learned what many of us never understand! Every obstacle presents an opportunity to improve our condition.
5 - Fifth Important Lesson - Giving When it Counts...
Many
years ago, when I worked as a volunteer at a hospital, I got to know a
little girl named Liz who was suffering from a rare & serious
disease. Her only chance of recovery appeared to be a blood transfusion
from her 5-year old brother, who had miraculously survived the same
disease and had developed the antibodies needed to combat the illness.
The
doctor explained the situation to her little brother, and asked the
little boy if he would be willing to give his blood to his sister. I
saw him hesitate for only a moment before taking a deep breath and
saying, "Yes I'll do it if it will save her."
As the
transfusion progressed, he lay in bed next to his sister and smiled, as
we all did, seeing the color returning to her cheek. Then his face grew
pale and his smile faded. He looked up at the doctor and asked with a
trembling voice, "Will I start to die right away". Being young, the
little boy had misunderstood the doctor; he thought he was going to
have to give his sister all of his blood in order to save her.
After sending Michael and Sharlene at Compendium an email this morning I went over for a visit, since their office is really close to where I live and it was just great! Their books are all stunning, one by one, these ones definitely being 2 of my favorites so far:
and of course this one:
I feel completely inspired again and will definitely create tonight! Thanks guys for letting me have a look through your warehouse!! Loved it! If I wasn't doing what I am very happy doing I would certainly try and apply for a job at your place!
Now going to read my girl some stories from Gumnut Babies...
no six at creative Therapy. These girls have got this amazing blog going, where catalysts are set every week and they are all related to some very much real stuff too. Go check them out.
Karen asked me to be their guest for this week and I am honoured. This is what I created in my art journal:
and some close ups:
Maybe some of the girls from my Art Journal class will recognize the photo underneath? We worked on altering photographs last week and used bleach which was such a fun process!
