Sad Decisions ......

Life is a bit of a mess at the moment.  There is alot of stuff happening around our in our lives at the moment, not all of it positive.  Actually, some of it really, really tough.  I'm not going to go into details but Mark and I are working through some really trying situations that can both break and strengthen a marriage.  He is the most amazing man.  He provides for the family and he loves me so unconditionally.  And believe me I'm not the easiest person to be married too.  Being creatively geared,  I am highly forgetful, unorganised and frustrating.  Somehow he seems to balance that.  I thank God for him every single day.  

So consequently, something's gotta give. I am just not coping with the combination of  everyday life and the demands that being on a manufactuer's Design Team makes.  Add to that the fact that I am thinking about going back to PT work, it's really brought forward some decisions I didn't think I was going to have to make for a while.  After some really sad days, procrastination in sending emails and finally acknowledging a few realities, I have decided to leave two of my Design Teams - Melissa Frances and Pink Paislee.

I will be creating for Pink Paislee for the remainder of the year, but I won't be returning in 2013.  This saddens me, but looking at this year, it has been an amazing ride.  Rebecca Cross and Danielle Flanders are the most wonderful co-ordinators and lovely women, and I know they totally support me in my decision.  It was such an honour being invited to join this team, and I know I have grown as an artist choosing to step outside my style box whilst playing with their cutting edge products.  Thanks for having me this year guys, I have really, really enjoyed my time with you.

One of the other really sad decisions I made was my participation with the  Melissa Frances DT.  Being asked onto this team was a dream for me, and at the time when Carolyn made contact with me, it was quite a shock to be invited to participate.  Without any thought I immediately answered with my heart and not my head.  Melissa's products are simply some of the most exquisite around and they suit my style beautifully.  However,  again  I simply couldn't cope with the combination of projects required and everything that is going on at home.  I feel that the quality of my work is slipping and that isn't fair to Melissa or to me.  Carolyn Peeler is such a beautiful woman, so sweet and supportive and I have loved working with her over the last year.  And Melissa, well her life is testament to the amazing woman she is.  She is a survivor and a mentor to so many women everywhere, including myself.  I will miss you all.

I will continuing on with Prima Marketing, writing articles for Scrapbook Creations (Australia) and teaching classes both here and abroad.  I feel that is where my scrapbooking is heading and I have to be realistic about the work that I am taking on from hereon in.  OK.  Pause.  Deep breath.  That part of the post is written and done.

So over to some happy shares for you .... some projects from the "Designer Day" over at the Prima Blog ....  Love is Patient Layout .... using my fav. background paper from Almanac and lots of beautiful pastel roses from the latest Prima Release.  The other fav. element on this page is the die from Memory Box, which I moulded around the Imaginarium Designs Clock.  Loved the way this turned out.

This layout was the result of alot of mistakes.  And playing.  I started with white bazill a little bit of gauze, some stamping, napkins, gesso and white paint.  Still not happy I tore a 1/3 of it off.  Yes that wasn't a design element that was a mistake.  As as artist's we all make them and watch them evolve into something new.  I loved the pink 1/3rd I added to this layout, considering where I started from, I felt it finally worked. 

If you missed the short tutorial as to how to make this last project ... read on.  Just take any chipboard dress form, and paint with gesso and dry.  I love my shabby projects to have a chalky white finish so for  this I inked over the gesso, and once dry, distressed the edges.  Next, I stamped Prima's crown stamp and Flourish Frame using a black chlk ink edger.

The Prima Press was perfect for use for the "Paris" letters.  I just stamped them on some kraft paper and then used a small tag punch (upside down) to fram ethe letters.  The skirt was just then layered on over some double sided tape to form a tutu.  Adding some flowers just added that little something extra to the projects.  Lastly I tied some jute string through the hold and the project was finished !!!!  Have a go, it is really easy to duplicate.

My last three shares are tags from my 12 Tags of Christmas Class.  It was originally spose to be a Advent Calender class, but the thought of 25 tags was just a tad overwhelming so we went for 12 !!!!  As it is these tags took the girls nearly 4 hours to create.  We had lots of fun thought.  Gold Leaving, Gesso, Inking, Heat and Set Powder, Glitter, Punching, Painting, Stamping and list goes on.

Angel Wing Tag ......

Christmas Tree Tag ....

Dove Wreath Tag

I still have another 9 tags to share over the coming two months.  Thanks so much for visiting, have a beautiful, safe week.  (Especially my friends down the east coast of the US).

Empty Nest

It's been one of those weeks, where you just take a moment to accept that things change.  My littlest girl Madi had her first day at school, and all of a sudden I found myself sitting in the middle of a lonely, empty nest.  Honestly, this day just crept on me, as moving to the Adelaide Hills  next year we thought it would be advantageous to keep Madison at kindy for the remainder of 2012, and start school fresh next year.  Just before the last school holidays I was chatting to Madi's teacher at kindy and she was sharing how she thought academically Madison would be better off getting that extra term of school in. I was really taken back, because I had told myself my reasoning for delaying school was an emotional one, mainly her getting settled in to a new school and making new friends and then having to pull her away from all that.  I didn't even give the academic side of it a thought.  I just kinda used this as an excuse to have one last term with her before we were separated by schooling.  So after much conversation, and me accepting the fact that she really is bored at home, I gave in and enrolled her at Primary School.

The funny thing was one the day I was fine.  It was the day before that was the killer.  We usually go out to brekfast together on Tuesdays, and as we made our way over to our cafe the future reality hit me like a tonne of bricks.  So did the overwhelming sadness.  And the tears.  Poor little thing had no idea what was going on.  Anyhow .... mummy composed herself and we had a gorgeous day together before her big day the following Wednesday.

So how was the actual drop off ... you ask ?? I pulled up outside the school, and before I knew it, she blurted out "seeya Mum have a nice day".  What the ??  You can't be serious.   "If you think I'm not coming in on your first day of school - your dreaming" I muttered through gritted teeth, to which she so graciously replied that that would be "fine".  Unbelievable.  Little Miss Madi Maintenance.  So independant now.  How they change.

Anyhow the above photo is Madison on her first day.  She is so beautiful.  Beautiful in grace, in beauty and in joy.  I love her so much.  I have just had this layout go up on the Pink Paislee Blog, and I used this photo of us taken a couple of months back by Mark.  Ho. Hum.  Life goes on.  I will miss her though.

5 years ago, I used to use sequins like you would never see them again, and recently I have reignited  an old love for their simple, but effective use on layouts.  I think they look gorgeous sewn through on a layout and a fantastic cost effective way to add some glamour to any project.

That chipboard butterfly is **New** from Imaginarium Designs .... along with some gorgeous stuff that will be released in the near future.

Over at Prima we had a Firefly Feature where this layout was shown.  I can't say it's my favourite layout I have every done (every scrapbooker knows that feeling), but I do love the colors and the new Donna Downey flowers that have just been released.  Such vibrant colors.

OK off to scrap some Prima projects which are due this weekend.  Why is it as scrappers we always procrastinate and leave things to the last moment ??  Good grief.  Wish me luck.

Welcome !!

Hey guys, welcome to my new blog !!!!!  After many years with Typepad I decided that it was time to move on and enter the land of blogger.  My old blog looked so tired, and it desperately needed a new look and different energy, so i spent a couple of weeks developing this one, which i really love, the header designed by itkupilli !!!  It still needs a bit more tweaking and more information added to the sidebar .... but we are 90% there and ready to roll..... !!

So - news ......  after 9 years of published works in various publications I was thrilled to be asked to submit a Prima Layout for the Fall Edition of Somerset Memories.  Somerset has always been an aspiration of mine, but I have always felt that my work was never "arty" enough to be considered, so I never bothered applying.  So ..... Yipeeeeeeee !!!  Happy Mail..... Doing the happy dance here !!!!!  Thanks Somerset ..... I was so thrilled x

Another project i have been working on is a monthly class I teach at Seriously Scrapbooking called "Make Pretty Stuff".  The class is basically just an excuse for me to sit down and have me scrap time, to  create with whatever products I want to and just have fun.  This is a little Marie Antionette booklet I made for the girls using some gorgeous downloads from Etsy and lots of pink !!!

This is a pretty pastel tag envelope, using the beautiful Melissa Frances 5th Avenue Collection.

And another little spool, this one with sweet little velvet flowers, hat pin and tag.

A couple of class layouts from last month .... 

my Boys to Men class .....

and my White with One class for September.  The color we choose was a soft and subtle moss green mixed with a little teal.  I added my signature layered clusters, I so love creating these.

If you have followed me over here .... thankyou !!!!!!!!!!!!!

Please feel free to leave any positive or constructive feedback about my new blog, i would love to hear what you think.

Unfortunately my Google follow button has reset, all 400 readers, so if you were a reader please add yourself again to receive notification of new posts !!!

Thanks so much guys, have a great week, and I will post soon ...