Last few weeks....

Well DH is off to America again.  For 3 weeks this time.  It sounds fine saying it now....but 3 weeks when he is away feels endless.  And...he goes away just in time for our scrapping evening at Scrapbook Station  Leaving me with the fear that I may not be able to go.  I will try though!!! 

Nothing really exciting has happened of late.  "It has been 1 month since my last blog....."  sounds like the addiction it is!!!  I surf very regularly, just the posting part is a little sparce.

A few friends of mine are expecting their second and fourth babies!  I am surrounded by pregnant people.  I know 6 to be exact.  That's far too many all at once.  Maybe there is something in the water.  (Note to self.....don't drink the water.)  It is lovely though.  I love bubbies.  Just more when I am not the one getting up all through the night to feed.  Those memories are still strong!  We are really only recently, sleeping through the night.  I have never had that much luck with sleeping babies.  They were both far too hungry to sleep!  My Sister on the other hand has had very good sleepers.  Her first let her sleep all the way 'in' in the morning.  Now her 7 month old is letting her do the same.  And he has been sleeping through for months.   I am hoping all the people I know who are expecting, have good luck in the sleeping department.  I am sure most people already know Janine and Steph are two of the glowing 'mum's to be'.  Such good news on both fronts.  Both have had heavy hearts waiting.  I am very happy for them, for their anticipated bundles have been so yearned for.  Not too far apart either.  (This will undoubtedly increase my teaching schedule at the shop!!! LOL)  So long as they bring the babies in for a cuddle...all will be well!  I am also excited for the abundance of baby LO's we can all expect from these two particular 'very talented' girls...  Now- we know the orientation of Janine's pages....."10 years of repressed pink" will come out significantly with floods of pink, frilly and floral covered works of Art. We know not what Steph will be drawn to as yet....Will it be some soft shades of Blues and greens, or more of the same beautiful works she has lavished on us in the past?....I don't believe she is telling! Any one guessing.  She sounded very excitied when she told us on the SS forum....So I was thinking maybe a boy??????? (I am not the betting kind though!!)

On a sadder note....I have had a couple of people on my mind regularly this last week or so.  Neither of them I know, but I know the pain they must surely be feeling at losing people they love.  One is a 'friend' on the SS forum ( one whom I have not met but have chatted with regularly over the last few months)  She lost a friend far too young, and all of a sudden life is not quite the same.  It takes a long while for the heaviness to subside....but it does eventually.  The other family is one I read about on Melody Ross' blog (The 'Chatterbox' founder)  About five years ago they lost a little girl, when a friend of theirs accidently ran her over (not being able to see a toddler when reversing)  That in itself is just horrendous...But a couple of weeks ago they lost 3 more of their children in a car accident.  Apparently in Utah the driving age without an adult is 15.  Sounds like something they need to rethink.  To think of some of the 15 year olds kids I know being behind a wheel is just...oh my goodness!  They have four other children who have lost their older brothers and sister.  Two other kids from another family were killed also.  It just tears at me...the thought of losing one child is something that scares me so very much.  But to lose more than one is just unimaginable.  I have sent up lots of prayers for the remaining families having to live through these few weeks without their children, siblings, grand children and friends.  Just too hard.

We have recently lost two people from both sides of our family.  Neither of which were close.  But they were family.  One was an skiing accident, the other  a suicide.  Both around 50 years old,  Just too hard.  The suicide was the worst to handle.  Our family is no stranger to accidents.  We have almost been waiting for the next one.  The space between them was getting too far.(Sounds morbid I know, but there has not been a good track record)   But when Peter took his own life,  it was the worst kind of shock.  He was such a happy man.  I still can't believe it has happened.  It just doesn't fit the person I knew.  He was very high up in the police force, and took such pride in his work.  The commissioner said "Adelaide has lost a fierce protector" in the newspaper obituaries.  He has a wife and two daughters whom he adored like you wouldn't believe.  Just doesn't fit.

But I guess this is life.  We just have to survive our way through it.  There is still a lot to be thankful for.  Just a bit harder for those affected at the moment to see.

Well now that I am feeling a lot more somber now than before, I can't got to sleep, with my mind thinking on such things.  So I think I should check out Two Peas.  Am needing as much motivation as I can muster up.  Tomorrow is a kindy day and I am hoping, a scrapping day!

Wow- this was a lot longer than I had planned, so sorry about that.  Nice to get things out though.

Night all. x

SCRAPBOOK STATION has recently gotten their forum up and going, and we already have a really nice community over there.  AND the Gallery.....more inspiration...just what I need!

Speaking of inspiration...On the forum today a site was listed to show the CHA releases.  I have seen them all before, but where I saw them, it was a little tedious,  but THIS one is great.  Pick your manufacturer and drool!  mmmm-mmm.

Well DS has gone off to Kindy today......Still not used to it, as I am savouring every minute....( As you can tell by my DD still in her PJ's with the TV on and me tapping away at the computer!!!  And yes there are dishes on the sink, and washing to be done....(Is there ever not washing to be done???)

It was DH birthday yesterday, and we got him a homedics massage cushion.  It is a whole seat you attach to your own chair and plug it in and away it goes....MMM.  It is technically his....but when he's not home....IT"S MINE!!!  You can't actually sit on it for too long as it leaves you very sore. It is a fairly intense massage.  He had a nice day, and Denver and I made him a cake.  His parents came out to visit, so the kids got presents too, they loved it!

Well I guess I should actually do something other than enjoy my partly free day.  I should be able to do both shouldn't I???

Bye for now.

A cure for lack of Creativity??....Just maybe!

Having two little ones at home I don't get as much time as I need to Scrap or more precisely....to be a productive scrapper. ( I am sure though, I am not the only one)  My two are 22 months apart, and the older one has been challenging!  Needing lots of attention.  I find it draining sometimes and even when I might have time to scrap, I really can't.  My creativity is just not at my beck and call when I am exhausted or frustrated. I almost feel that if I am not able to continually create, then my creativity suffers!  I need to get back 'into the zone' before I can get going, which wastes far too much precious time, then I end up frustrated even more that I wasted my time and created nothing!!!  A viscious circle! 

I have been investigating a 'Creative' or 'Art' Journal.  It sounds really appealing to create something that challenges your creativity and exercises it enough to get those creative juices flowing.  It really fits with my 'the more you use it the more you have it' thing I have going here!!!    Now, I love Art, and playing with all kinds of different media, but the idea of a 'Creative' journal as a scrapper sounds really exciting.  The idea of being able to use magazine cut outs, clippings from catalogues and the like, to record what I find inspiring, not to mention the lovely scrapping supplies to add to the inspiration....Just sounds divine.  Below are some of the completely inspiring things I found.

At This site the description was as follows......

"A painting creativity journal is a collection of the ideas you have and things that inspire you. It's a place to record ideas that you can't use immediately -- you may think you'll remember them, but one can't remember everything, so it's better to make a quick note and put it into your painting creativity journal. Don't think it's for only finished ideas or well-planned projects, it's definitely not! It's the place to record those quick thoughts before you get distracted, those images lurking in your brain, and for building up a personal image library."

This quote was also very motivating for me

"Starting an art journal is a powerful way to move beyond words in your daily writing practice. Not only does working with images access a different part of our brains than words, making art is a source of playfulness and creative joy.

When we make pictures in our journals, we often come to deeper insights about ourselves and the world around us than we can when we carefully shape our thoughts and write them on paper. By adding color and form to the pages of our journals we illuminate them and in the process we illuminate ourselves.

Here is the site I pulled it from with much more on the details on how to actually create your journal.

They really can be a form of inspiration and motivation.  I am forever seeing things I love,  shapes that appeal, colours combo's that are visually striking, advertisements that grab me, text and fonts that I adore....And I look and "oooh" and "ahhh", and think to myself, that looks so great, I will remember that...." and I am dragged out of it with the 'Mum-meeee, He hit meeeee....." and it is gone, along with any inspiration the item brought me, (even if just for a fleeting moment....It was there!)  By all accounts it does not need to be a hugely time consuming thing that I first thought it would need to be  "I haven't got time to scrap, let alone put all my efforts into a book, which is not much good for anyone but myself"  In truth I may do alot of it already just in no real 'creative' form.  I do have a sketch book in which I jot things down in and draw and doodle things, practice writing different fonts....ETC, it's just fairly ugly!

I believe I will give this a try.  If it exercices my creativity enough to use my time productively, then it is worth it.  If it creates a bank of ideas I can draw from when doing my next LO...then all the better.  Any excuse to decorate something!!!  Now I am all excited.  Anyone else motivated to start a "Creative Journal?"

New February resolution???

Right.  Now I am going to make an effort to keep my blog up to date a little more!  I have not scrapped for a while, so have not blogged!  Seems to go hand in hand.  Might be something to do with the fact I feel a little like I should share something each time I do an entry.  If there's nothing to share I tend not to blog!!!  I have just purchased a new laptop too so that might get me motivated!!!  Just need DH to add my photoshop to it and it will be fully usable!  Can't seem to do too much without my photoshop!

In the way of news.....My sister had her first baby this morning.  Jayden Shane.  He is having a little trouble, has too much insulin in his system.  Cindy had to be put on insulin with gestational diabetes a few weeks ago, and now bub has too much!  Hope it is easily fixed.  Don't know too much about it.  He is only a few hours old.

Denver started Kindy last week.  (sigh of relief)  I love it!  He is such a full on little being.  It is just me and Mazzie two days a week.  Lovely.  What makes it easier for me to love it, is that he adores going.  He is so ready.  He brings home little things he has made each day!  It is quite exciting, as I was a Teacher in my past life, and I sent home all these little things kids had made, now I am the parent picking up the treasures!!  Wierd!  It is still so new, I am treasuring every minute I am alone, as I am so not used to it!  (Mazzie still has a two hour cat nap in the middle of the day....mmmm)  I am still determined not to do any washing or cleaning in 'MY' time!!!  Surfing the internet is allowed!

I have done a LO this morning ( From start to finish...whoo-hoo!  For the challenge in the Scrapbook Station newsletter (coming soon)  (Just need that photoshop to get it to you Janine!)

I have also done most of a mini-album for Denver on Dinosaurs.  He is so inquisitive and thrives on information about things.  He loves dinosaurs and DH went to London on one of his business trips overseas and took some pics of dinosaurs at the London Museum for Denver.  So I have included these pisc with info from the net, and some other pics downloaded, along with Denver playing with his own vast collection of toy dinos.  I am going to be really happy with it I think.  It is sitting in a pile on the dining table unbound, and awaiting some extra untaken photos to complete it.

Well I believe that is it.  It is such a beautiful day (slight break from the heat)  Maybe I should hang out some washing.  If I enjoy it it should be ok to do in 'my' time shouldn't it!!!  Just this once.  No folding though!!!

Well I was going to post the work I have done lately, but the new DT layouts are not yet posted on the site, so I should hold off for a bit.  Sorry!  And without photoshop I can't really manipulate anything else I have done.  Soon though!

Well consider this an update!  More to come though!, should I aim for daily?  Who knows, maybe that will mean a few times a week!  I will get back into the habit though.  I miss it.

Thanks for visiting though.  X

I have not blogged for so long!  Shame on me!

I have not been blog surfing either, so don't know much about anyone ATM.  Not good.  I miss it every time I get busy and neglect the online world!

Can't believe it is only a matter of days now before Christmas!  Last Christmas still seems not all that long ago.  There is also the fact that I still have gifts to buy and organising to do.  We are having 17 here for Christmas Lunch!  AHHHHH!  That's a lot huh!  It will be fine.......(Nervous laugh!)  Hopefully John will get the decking finished in time.  My Dad is coming tomorrow to help for a bit.  Driving from two hours away.  Good ole Dad.  The kids love him visiting.  He has just been on holiday in Melbourne visiting my step sisters.  Cindy is 32 weeks pregnant and they have just bought their first home which needed some work.  Apparently she has been washing dishes in a bucket, as they pulled out their sink to get the new kitchen installed, and then it was a while before anything appeared to happen with it.  Dad ended up putting an entire new kitchen in for her.  He came back utterly exhausted.  He gets home and I ask him to help us with the deck!  LOL!  Poor Dad. 

I have not done too much in the way of scrapping.  Just organising Christmas gifts ( of a scrapping nature!)  I did complete an 8x8 album for dad for his 60th birthday on the weekend.  It took every ounce of scrapping ability I had!  All fishing photos of waders, horizon, net, orange corks and plenty of blue/green water.  It looked good in the end, and I was happy with it, but every single page I started, I packed it up at least once, 'cause I couldn't do it!!!  It really did take a long time!

Any way I might go take this opportunity to blog surf!  Catch up on the world!

Bye!

Can't believe a month has past!

Wow, It has been a while.  Just the normal everyday stuff, which tends to keep me very busy.  Had a few classes, which were good.  Went and stayed with my Mum for a week, which was also good.  Change of scenery.

John has started the decking out the side of the house, he has just had a fortnight off work to make a start on it.  It looks a little closer to a deck, but not enough like one!!!  All the steel is there, but it is quite a way off the ground, so it can not be any sort of uasable deck until walls go up as well.  Me thinks it is still a way off.  Oh well I have waited this long!

I have done a few layouts.  Had lots of fun doing them.  There was a time not so long ago where all my layouts were a marathon, and they took days to complete.  I have no idea what has happened, but I can complete one quite quickly lately.  Go figure!  I am enjoying it though.  Quick satisfaction.  I am still talking a few hours though, not 15 minutes like Heidi Swapp once stated!  Can't work that one out!

Watching Australian Idol tonight, Marcia made mention of Rove McMannus losing his wife,it was a shock.  I totally missed Damiens performance.  Very sad.   She fought for so long.  8 years ago she was diagnosed with breast cancer, and at 32 she lost her fight.  Far too young.  She didn't even get the chance to be a mum. (don't think they had any did they?)  I am guessing she was sick for too long?  My heart goes out to her family.

Well I will upload a couple of the layouts I have done.  Then I will hit the sack I think.  Both my little ones are sick with the flu, and are miserable, which makes me miserable, so I need my sleep.  Far too cranky with grizzly children otherwise!

My little future scrapbooking partner at it again!  But oh so cute.

This one was for the last newsletter challenge for the Scrapbook Station newsletter.  People use the fortnightly blueprint sketch and do their own version of it, and if your layout is chosen you win some goodies! 

Another Scrapbook Station DT Layout.  Decorative borders this time.

O.K that's it for me. Till next time.  Wont leave it so long this time!  Very slack!

My baby girl was 2 yesterday.  Where did the time go?  I waited for every stage with Denver.  I have missed most of them with Mazzie.  All of a sudden she is speaking in sentences.  ( Deciphering still needed!)  On the otherhand, she is more independant and can wander outside for a while without assistance.  It gives me a chance to mop the floor without her attacking the water, or putting on a load of washing without her adding inappropriate items in without me knowing.  I could not find my phone the other day, so as you do, I rang it and heard it ringing in the distance.  I eventually located the distant ringing.  In the washing machine.  I had almost started a load earlier and had to gather more clothes, so it didn't happen!  Thankgoodness.  My history with phones is unfortunate.  I would have had to fight DH for another new one.

Anyway I have a 2 year old baby.

On a scrapping note, Janine rang the other day and asked if we could swing it to get together without children (what????) to scrap for the afternoon.  My word was it nice!  I did one layout for the DT this coming week on decorative borders.   I will put this one up when the change over happens on the Scrapbook Station site this weekend.  It was so good to scrap together (have not done this at home before, just at the shop.)  that we got together again yesterday, this time with kids....ALL OF THEM ( school holidays!!!) They were actually pretty good.  But I couldn't relax until lunch was over and done with, and the cake Janine brought over was eaten ( with a coffee of course!)  Janine cruised through it with her Layout....When she is in the zone!!! (Stunning Layout though!)  She truely is the Patterned Paper Queen.  I just watched in awe.  She had like 7 sheets of 12 x 12 printed paper.  I need therapy if I try to incorporate 3. 

I drew around some hearts...But I saw a genius at work!!!

I got a layout done after all had gone to bed last night though.  That is pretty impressive for me...and I went to bed at 11.30pm.  Anyway.  Here is this weeks productions.  After the drought! Permission slip reads....

" Lydell ( Mum) is hereby granted permission to Slip on the fluffy slippers, make herself a coffee, run a bath, surf the net for scrapping stuff and blogs, reas books and magazines and SCRAP to her hearts content!"

Journaling reads....."If only!  It would be pure bliss to be able to scrap and relax anytime I wanted too!...But then it wouldn't feel so good!!  It's true, I don't get much done, and I barely meet my deadlines, but all too soon these little ones of mine will not need me so much and will grow to be independant and I will miss them needing me....On the other hand. imagine all the scrapping I will get done! "

This is the one I drew around the hearts of!

Journaling reads....."So unbelievably cute, that perfect little face laughing back at me when you do something naughty so that mummy might not be so cross...It works every time!  Mummy can't resist, you are just far too cute for my own good!!!

This one I did last night after everyone was in bed!  Didn't take long at all!

Journaling reads...  "I really hope this obsession you have with my scrapping stuff means that when you're older you will share my passion.  But for the moment all it means to me is the ruination of many a scrapping product.  You have drawn on completed layouts, emptied embossing powders, cut up papers, I could go on..."

On that note.  I have a few more hours that I can leave the stuff I brought out of my downstairs scrapping room to our dining table upstairs ( The key to which I have been able to work this week!) before I need to return it all to its rightful home.  One more layout??  Who knows!

TFL and have a great weekend all!

Lydell x