The book of LOVE has music in it - Canvas - Scrap Africa

Morning Everyone, I am greeting you from the lovely San Lameer resort where I am spending a few days with two of my blog friends.

 It's also the start to a super new challange on Scrap Africa. This challenge is to use at least 1 chipboard on your project!

We received a package of Design Worx' chipboard embellishments.  The challenge at Scrap Africa this month is to use chipboard on your project.  I made a canvas for Laura as a wedding gift.  I wanted to use the music chipboard on the layout.  Here is the completed project.

 Supplies used:  Canvas: 12x18 inch; Pattern Papers - a mix of My Minds Eye Lost and Found, Bo Bunny and Flair Designs; Cardstock: American Craft; Chipboard:  Design Worx; Flowers: Prima; Bling: Prima; Stickels: Ranger; Title: Prima. Other: Mists, Texture Paste, Tim Holtz Distress Inks, Glossy Accents, Glitter.

 I love how delicate the Silhouette cut doily is behind the photo

 I decided on this colour combination because I wanted to also enter this project for the "Scrap around the World" challenge.  This is what the inspiration board looks like.  The sketch was also used as inspiration for the canvas:

So imagine my surprise when I some of the wedding photos were uploaded and I saw that this was also Laura's colour scheme for her big day.

I first painted the chipboard with copper paint.  I then spread glossy accents over the entire piece and while wet sprinkled glitter onto it.

The title of the canvas was also Laura and David's wedding song.

This challenge is sponsored by Design Worx, who not only have sponsored the prize, but also chipboards for the DT to create with! Thanks so much to Yola for this super opportunity.

Design Worx offers decorative lazercut material in exceptional and original designs.

Design Worx scrapbooking range originated from the scrapping tables of passionate scrapaholics, and their ever increasing product range, aims to capture the finest detail of every special moment.

Design Worx can produce tailormade products on demand, from any laserable material.

Please visit their website and gallery to see their wonderful products. We would love it if you would take part in this challenge.  You have until 31 May 2013 to upload your project.

Happy Birthday Sketch N Scrap!

Happy Birthday to us!  Sketch N Scrap is turning one this month and we are e celebrating everyday for the rest of the month!  That means LOTS of inspiration, lots of fun, lots of eye candy and the best part...LOTS and LOTS of prizes!  Today I will be hosting the challenge. I wanted to break away from the usual...page making or card making.  I dressed up my caddy with scrapbooking goodies:

This is what my caddy looks like now.

Before I started "dressing" it...it looked rather drab and sad.

I am going to give you pointers on how to alter your item.  First you have to clean it very well.  Then use your item to trace the sections onto patterned paper.  I used the gorgeous Pink Paislee butterfly garden that has been sitting in my stash for ages. Then apply some acrylic gel medium to a section at a time.  Acrylic gel medium is basically the same as Mod Podge, but it has self levelling properties and you get a smoother finish.  I worked in section or else parts of your item will dry out before you can apply you paper.  Once the gel medium is applied, apply your cut out traced pattern paper to it and smooth it down well with your hands to get any bubbles out.

Once you have your entire article covered in pattern paper and it has dried apply a thin layer of gel medium over your paper to seal it....when this is properly dry the fun begins.  It is time to bring out those large and bold embellishments that have been sitting in your stash and is too big for layouts.

I first glued the lace right around the top edges of the caddy and then let it dry again.  The fun part is to choose the embellishments you want to add.  I chose some large fabric Prima flowers for the center front and back of the caddy and then added leaves and birds (K & Co) to the one side and a pearl swirl to the other side.  

I added the large bling butterflies to the sides.    This lovely tag with the quote and ribbons was on a kit that was given out on a retreat.  It was so pretty that I wanted to keep it and now it has find it's perfect place.

My challenge to you is:

•  to alter an article. It can be elaborate or it can be as simple as a pencil holder.  
• become a follower of my blog
• leave a comment with a link to where I can see your article.

Challenge ends May 31st at midnight, Central Standard Time.A winner will be randomly drawn and the prize will be the following kit:

It is a Jillibean Watermelon Gazpacho Soup kit.

I can't wait to see what you create.  Enjoy!

Dancing with the family skeleton

My children and grandchildren are everything to me.
There is nothing I wouldn't do for them.
When we were young parents we had all these wonderful dreams.
We would raise our children with so much love that love will be the thing that comes naturally for them.
We would always be close and do a lot together.
We thought that the bond that we nurtured between our children would be unbreakable.
Forever friends...that is what they would be.

Then one day you have to face the reality that it didn't work as planned.  Your children grew up and married.  You are faced with the fact that the girls don't get along.  In actual fact they can't stand each other.  When you invite them and they know that the other is coming they will find an excuse not to come.

For a while you will dance around the issue, not wanting to confront.
Then you confront and you become the enemy.
You are accused of taking sides...of expecting too much.
You have to listen to accusations against the other party.
You are expected to understand how they feel.
...and you don't.

I have tried and failed to get my whole family around the same dining room table.  We tried debating the issue.  We tried to force the issue.  It just left us frustrated and hurt.

I remember as a child how my mother used to get us to do things we didn't really want to by saying:  "Just do it...do it for me."  Just thinking about it brings back bad memories, feelings of resentment and being used... and that would be the main reason why I would never expect the children to "become friends" for our sake.

So a few weeks back we were forced to make peace with this thing that we cannot change.  We decided to enjoy the time we spend with them separately.  Having dinner dates, braais and even weekends away.  We often have all our grandchildren at our home and then the cousins play...the way only cousins can.

Tomorrow evening we have a Benefit Dinner and art auction for the Mission.  We have invited all our children and they will ALL be sitting at the table we are hosting.  I am a wee bit nervous but then again...maybe I would like to see them squirm ;-)

What do you do when your children don't want to socialize?

xx

Loving these Moments - Scrap Africa - My Minds Eye Miss Caroline

The May sketch reveal is up at Scrap Africa.  Please go and check out all the cool projects by the design team.  Here is my layout using photos of Lukas and Oupa on the tractor on Wynand's smallholding.

Supply list:  Cardstock:  Bazzill; Patterned papers: My Minds Eye (Miss Caroline Dilly Dally); Brads; My Minds Eye; Silhouette triangle cut designed by Kinsey Wilson; Title by Studio Calico and cut with Silhouette.

I am loving the Silhouette and the beautiful cuts it makes.  I have added some stitching around some of the triangles.

I love the bright colours of this paper line.

Here is the sketch by Evgenia:

We also have a random giveaway from Fabscraps. Look at those super goodies!!

You have until the 14th May to upload your projects.

Families Bloom with Love - Scrap Africa - My Minds Eye Miss Caroline Dilly Dally

It is time for the Scrap Africa challenge for April.  The challenge is to use triangles, black and white photos and confetti on your page.

Here is my layout for the challenge.  I used a photo of Kobus Jr, Lache and their three little ones and changed the photo to black and white.

Supply list:  Cardstock: Bazzill; Patterned papers: My Minds Eye (Miss Caroline Fine and Dandy); Blooms: Prima; Brads: My Minds Eye; Title: Silhouette.

I cut my triangles with the Silhouette out of the background cardstock.  I then backed it with patterned paper.  I chose bright papers because I wanted it to form a strong contrast with the black and white photo.

I then just used a black fine liner to draw lines around the triangles.  I made a mat for my photo out of neutral colours.

I used a 6x6 Crafters Workshop (Mini tile texture) template and added texture paste to my background.

If you try and work with confetti on your page, you will soon find just how finicky it is to work with tiny little circles.  I decided to use my confetti as a border below the photo.  Before I added the photo, I first applied adhesive to the bottom part of the mat and then sprinkled confetti onto the wet adhesive.  I then added confetti to the open spaces.  I love how it turned out...and I love the sharp contrast between the black and white photo and the confetti border.

Prize from 2crafty for those who are going to take part in this challenge.

  

 2 Crafty strives to offer affordable and versatile laser cut chipboard products to the Australian and International Craft market.

2Crafty’s products are manufactured here in Australia and offer products suitable for scrapbooking, cardmaking, altered art, invitations and mixed media, and with over 1000 designs, every area has been covered.

2Crafty’s owner Vanessa, stumbled on the demonstration of the laser cutter at one of the Sydney craft fairs back in 2006 and although her background was Human Resources and payroll her creative mind could see unlimited possibilities and so began her journey into the world of a craft wholesaler.

2Crafty designs are supported both locally and in the overseas market and Vanessa strives to offer the highest level of customer support, and is happy to discuss personalized orders with customers via their local scrapbooking store.

2Crafty also offers a fabulous blog that is updated weekly with projects created from its wonderful Design Team with both local and international designers which includes the very talented Di Garling, Chantal Vandenberg, Elena Olinevich, Fiona Johnstone, Keren Tamir, Leonie Neale-Dawson, Linda Eggleton.

The 2Crafty website, although a wholesale website, offers you a birds eye view of all the wonderful designs that it offers. Make sure you check out the stockist list and don’t be afraid to ask your local store to order products that they may not have in stock.

Aren't these just gorgeous?! Play along and they could possibly be yours!! So you have until the 30th April to submit your entries.

xx

Scenes from the Drakensberg (photo post)

Greetings from the Central Drakensberg where sunsets looks like this.

We left Port Elizabeth on Thursday afternoon and drove to a farm outside Stutterheim where we spent the evening with Shayne and her family.  The next morning we left, choosing to take the Queenstown ....Elliot ... Ugie....Maclear road to Kwazulu Natal.  After a day on the road we finally arrived at our destination at 9:30 Friday evening.  We were so tired that we just took a bath and fell into bed.

The next morning we explored our surroundings.  Cayley Lodge with it's comfortable chalets are situated high above the Bell Park Dam.

This is the main building of the resort with it's pools and jacuzzi.

The view on a cloudy day...you can't even see the mountains.


We have had awful sinus since reaching the Drakensberg, so on Sunday we were off to find a pharmacy and also to scout out our surroundings.

I honestly don't think I will ever get tired of seeing so much beauty.  We are so blessed to be living in a country that has such diverse and beautiful areas.

The golf course at Champagne Valley Sports Resort.  This is where darling man is spending his day today.

 On Monday we drove through to Winterton and found an open pharmacy at last.  Then we stopped at the Waffle hut for coffee and waffles.  They have the most gorgeous gift shop we beautiful goodies for the home.

We then set off on the winding road through rural Kwazulu Natal to Cathedral Peak.

 On the road we found hundreds of children on their way from school.  It was good to see that they are cautious of strangers.

...and we found out just how much joy simple pink gumballs can give a child.

One of the many mountain streams.

Autumn can be seen in the lovely colours of the oak trees.

We came across a troop of baboons next to the road.

A little family :-)

 The majestic Cathedral Peak.

 Pretty autumn colours.

Having a drink on the charming Cathedral Peak Hotel's patio.

Rural Zululand living.

Cosmos flowers along the road.

I would love to know how this telephone booth found it's way to the middle of this field.

Yesterday morning we woke up full of energy and decided to go on a paddle boat ride around the dam.

 In the middle of the dam.  Little did we know that the dam is RATHER LARGE and it would take us 2 and a half hours to complete our little excursion.

 The Cayley Lodge chalets high up on the hill....1700 meters of climbing to be exact.

 By now you know how much I love reflections...so I couldn't resist this pretty picture...and yes I took my camera with us on the paddle boat.

 The beautiful thorn trees of this area with cosmos growing wildly underneath it.

My darling man on the dam wall.

Proof that this bedraggled woman was there too.  We weren't very clever...we forgot to take water and then still had to climb the 1700 meters back to our chalet.  We cleaned up and promptly fell asleep.

He has a natural touch with children and it doesn't take them long to warm up to him.

Well folks, that is all for now.  I am not promising to read blogs during my time on vacation...so I will probably catch up with you when I get back home at the end of April.

xx