Hello Candice

                                             This bird pic has nothing to do with this post, but I love it.

Hello dear friends. I have been prompted by a young friend to update my blog so here we go. I have considered shutting down my blog for some time, as for the past 12 months or so I have not been regularly writing and sharing as much as I used to or want to. Writers block, depression- call it what you may, but the end result was I thought I didn't have anything relevant or interesting to say. Sure, my fourth daughter who lives far, far away loves reading my blog to glimpse life 'at home', but we do also talk on the phone almost daily. I know readers of blogs like seeing pictures, and I love a blog with great pictures, but my photography skills are still not great. Most of the photos used here come via my mobile phone, which I am still learning to use. Although in saying that 'the bloke' does take some fairly good pics that I have included.
I originally created my blog in an attempt to hone my writing skills and in the process gain feedback. What I found was that I had some great responses but no constructive critique. I realise now that this is probably not the right forum to gain that, and my audience far too small. However, after saying all that I will still blog occasionally, dependent of course on energy levels, and if I have something worthy of writing. 
 With all that said I have come here today because I do have some things I want to share. 
Recently I have been inspired by a great group of women who are creative and arty and who have been mentoring me in the art of card making and scrapbooking. 
Usually I lack natural confidence to give new things a try but as I have aged I am more inclined to give things a go, and see if I like it. Well I do like it. A lot. Pretty card. Pretty papers. Little trinkets and do-dads. I love it all. My last blog post showed some layouts I am doing for my grandson. I am up to the 9 month stage now! How time has flown on by. 
I am pleased to report that I entered my very first card swap last week. I am still surprised I did it. I have found that I am not good with deadlines, and this task involved a group of 12 of us each making 12 cards then sending them to the person organising the swap who would then divide the cards into 12 piles and send us 12 different cards each. I created mine in one day. At first I tried to get a bit too flash and the cards did not look 'right' so then I used the KISS method. Keep it Simple scrapper. Simple is best for me. I have seen so many blogs with talented artists  and their cards are amazing, but really not for my skill set at this stage of the game. 
I was quite pleased with the results and continued on to make a few more for my own personal supply. Generally I am not a card giver, but I do need to do this for some beautiful people in my life. I know a card cannot thank them enough for what they bring to my life, but it is a token of my appreciation. Crikey I can blather on. Below are pics of some of my cards. I am sorry that I don't have them in a collage format, but I don't now how to do it. A lesson for another time.

                                                               This is the inside of the above card

So there you go, hope you liked seeing my cards and if you want to come visit in a few days I am hoping to have a post about the quilt I made for my friend's cousin. 

Take care

Scraps of my life

In the years since I finished work (5) I have pursued a few different crafts one of them being scrapbooking  Yes it’s been around for ever, but it was one that I had never embarked on, mainly due to lack of interest. Whilst previously I was all about learning and studying for academic qualifications, when I had to stop work due to being both physically and mentally exhausted, I was left with a whole lot of time to fill. I was firstly attracted to the pretty awesome patterned papers and coloured and textured card that were on offer and started out slowly obtaining a few things and then I gradually built up my supplies and now I own a Spellbinders die cut machine and several other tools of the trade.

However, I do tire easy and so can go quite a while without doing much.  About a month ago I decided to embark on a small 8x8 album to document the first twelve months of my grandsons life. It has been a challenge mainly because I have so many beautiful photos that I want to use, but there it not much room on a small page like that. To get around that I have decided to make pockets on the back of the layout page and I will slip the extra photos in there.

Sometimes I do ask myself is there any point to doing this scrapbooking and journalling.  Will anyone be interested in the future? I hope so, but at least I have my memories down on paper and it might provide some delightful reflection in the future when my twilight years are upon me.

The process of scrapping has allowed me to be creative and inventive. I like to make my own little embellishments and if I can do that from things just lying around the house all the better. I work on the principle of keeping it simple, and make the photo the focal point. I cannot feel comfortable with the over embellished pages I come across, where I find it hard to see the photo.

 Most of my photographs have been taken on my Canon camera or my Samsung Galaxy 4, or prior to that my iPhone. They have produced some very good photos. I send them to be printed at Harvey Norman, when they have one of their great offers.

 I just wish my handwriting was neater. I would print all my journalling up but I was told that writing it in hand is much more personal. So I will stick with it, with the occasional printed word.

Thanks for reading folks,

Ciao

It's Been a While friends

Today is when we traditionally celebrate mothers day. the day means different things to people. My family are not big on celebrating the some what commercialised day, but my girls do love to put on a morning tea. Sadly one of my girls, Nicole lives far away and can't be part of the day, I feel the gap when one or more can't be here.
Today's feast consisted of sandwiches, scones with jam and cream, little cupcakes, apple and cream sponge cake. Coffee and tea. Lovely thanks girls.

Life has been bubbling away, days turn into weeks and before I know it another month has ticked over. Seriously, is it a sign of ageing? I don't seem to get much done but the time passes fast.
I have been scrap-booking, sewing and more often than not face-booking, chatting to my friends and family.
I undertake things when I have the energy to carry them out. Additionally, because I am not mobile enough to carry and fetch required items for my craft projects I rely heavily on my family to do this. It can cause problems. I feel quite bad that I ask them to do so much. They get tired of my requests. They also work and so I have to get them to bring things before they leave and sometimes there just isn't the time. On those days I sit here on my nest (couch) and stare into space. Zone out as some people say. Almost like suspended animation. Waiting for someone to appear or something to happen.
No pity parties though, this is my life right now. I don't always like it, but there it is.

I do have a special friend who visits me frequently, she is a blessing. Love that woman. My girl who lives away calls me nearly every day-she misses me. I like to chatting to her but the thing is my life is rather bland and I don't have much news.
 The photo below was taken last month when our fourth daughter came or a holiday for two weeks. She loved cuddling her nephew who she had last seen when he was two months old. This girl is an enrolled nurse who works in a nursing home, and who has applied to university to continue her career so she can become a registered nurse. We are very proud of her and her determination. She has battled some great challenges and moved through them all. She also recently became engaged to her partner of three years.

The photo above shows one of my recent forays into making zippered purses. I have never put a zip into anything before so had a personal challenge to do so. I searched the web for an easy to follow tutorial so i could learn at my own pace. By my third attempt I had made something pretty decent-good enough for my needs anyway. I gifted that large wallet to my nurse daughter, so she could keep her stethoscope in her handbag. However with me if I don't practice a new skill enough I tend to not retain the knowledge.

I just had too add this photo of my grandson who is now nearly 9 months old. He is quite a cheeky little fella and is determined. He is also very loving and loves cuddles from me. It truly makes my heart sing, as he loves me just as I am, without any pre-conceived ideas. A real little character that's for sure.

So that is my little lot for a moment. I will be back soon...

It's The Little Things That Count

Hello folks. It's been a little quiet around these parts and today seemed like a good time to sit and chat about the goings on in my little world. I started sewing again after a long break and have been making a new, to me, quilt block which is a variation on the windmill block that I have made previously. This one was so easy  to do and I wondered why I had never come across it before. Maybe it's a case of  things coming to us when we are ready to see them?
I am not sure how I will use these blocks yet but they could be used in a baby quilt.I love the fact that I can use my smallest scraps of fabrics, and the results are always spectacular. 

In other quilt news, I have been commissioned to make a lap quilt for my best friends cousin. Of course this means that I go into an anxious state, feeling my self imposed pressure to make the 'perfect' item. I do it to myself all the time. Throughout my life this has occurred and despite me trying to work on it, I still face it when I am tackling a new thing.

 The photo below is one that I have shown here before and it is still to be finished. The issue is that I don't have the confidence to quilt it. I am a very novice free motion quilter, and this quilt design calls for that type of quilting. I don't want to pay someone else to do it for me, so until I become bold and brave enough to do it, it will languish in my basket of unfinished projects. 



In other news this small person is now 7 months old. He is crawling all over the place and discovering his world. He has the most infectious giggle and has a smile on his face every time he comes through the door or wakes from a sleep. He has been having a terrible time with teething, and now has two weeny bottom teeth. He loves to visit with his nana and pop and his aunties. His favourite play things are an old T.V remote (with batteries removed), an old calculator, a plastic drink bottle filled with rice, and a small cloth that I sewed colourful fabric bits too. He also has lots of lovely shop bought toys, but like most children it is the odds and ends around the house that take his interest. We love seeing him grow and pass his milestones and we could be called biased, but we do reckon he advanced for his age. He is pulling himself where he can and really wants to get going. That boy will be running by Christmas I think. Look out then.

I have been unwell for a while, but today feel much better in myself and hope this is a sign of more productive times ahead.
I will sign off now and do the next thing on my list which is write a shopping list. Daughter 3 is making home made pizza for tea tonight. Can't wait.
So what are you doing this weekend?

Ciao

Jan

Coffee, Bills and a holiday

It's early Sunday morning but I am already onto my second cup of coffee, paid and filed our bills, checked my Facebook for updates and have also gone through copious amounts of emails. Yep, great start to my day. The weather is predictably very hot and although I remain indoors in air conditioned comfort, by mid afternoon it is getting uncomfortable inside.

                                                     Rossiter Bay, Esperance W.A

In recent news the bloke and I had a small trip to the coast. We left on a Friday after lunch and arrived early evening in time for a takeaway dinner from the local Chinese restaurant. Now, we have eaten from this place numerous times over the years we have been visiting Esperance, but the food this time was terrible. It really put a dampener on our first evening. Then to bed thank goodness I thought, well no. For some reason the bed was really high and I was unable to sit back far enough on the bed to lift my legs onto it. So picture this if you wish-Me perched precariously on the very edge of said bed. The bloke half crouching over me, ready to lift my legs as I swing up and onto it. He also has  two of the beds wheels chocked up with his thongs to prevent it taking off through the wall. He then expertly hooks my legs up and onto the bed and I'm in for the night. Unfortuantley in the early hours of the morning I needed to use the toilet so after that there was no way I was going through all that again, so I sat on his single bed and he climbed into my bed. 

The following day we drove around to the shops and out to the beaches which were stunning, and the weather was very nice for us. Deciding that we would do chicken and salad for dinner that night we had bought the ingredients for the salad and the bloke would go to the local chicken franchise to buy some chook. Of he went and about twenty minutes later he calls to tell me that the chicken shop has run out of chicken so it was fish and chips and salad. Seriously how does a chicken shop run out of chicken? 

On the Sunday we drove out to the beautiful Cape Le Grand National Park, about a 1/2 hour to forty minute drive out of Esperance. Spectacular coastline and the water was such a gorgeous shade of deep blue. However there were people everywhere and I didn't feel comfortable getting out in front of them and sitting in my wheelchair so we drove further along a mostly dirt, bone rattling track to Rossiter Bay, a more quieter location to eat our picnic lunch. We had the place to ourselves and even though it was very windy we didn't mind as it was such a change from where we live in the dry, dusty Goldfields.
Funnily enough mid way through lunch along came another car, and would you believe given that the whole area was vacant except us they parked just one car width away from us! Now I am no snob, but heck why do people do this? It also happens in car parks. You can be the only car parked but come out and someone has parked so close to your car that you need a can opener to get in.

On this trip away we did something we have never done before. Now before you get too alarmed it was ordering room service. Yep, in all of our 31 years together we have never indulged in this 'treat'. Of course it was more expensive than we would normally spend on a meal, but we never go out for a meal and it is one more  thing ticked off our bucket list. Studying the menu was exciting, and the thought of the delicious foods made our mouths water. In the end the bloke chose surf n turf  and beer battered chips and I had a rump steak with Diane sauce, beer battered chips and salad. It was delivered within half an hour of us ordering. Verdict was that is was great and a must do thing again. 

On the Monday we packed up the van and headed for home. I love coming home again. sigh...

Does anyone have any memorable stories of a trip away?

Keep well,