Not a fancy Blog.

Not fancy but still a challenge. Ater moving into our wee home I find I am overwhelmed with what to do with the place. I have so many projects to start or finish , along with the task of settling in. It`s been a month and still I am looking at an empty living room. I had planned on painting it and reupholstering furniture I have picked up along the way. Its ground to a humongous halt and is like having a white elephant in your house. So, task of the day is to organize. List making and maybe a few photo`s to use on the blog at a later date. Even list making is a chore today but if I get it done it might make it a little easier to choose what is priority and what is not. I also have discovered an Aladin`s cave of a shop and it is just within walking distance.Something I will not go into until I have at least 3 projects done...says I? (quiet chuckle to oneself)Aparently, according to my Hubby that knows me so well, it is filled with goodies. Such temptation! Back on track.. list making. Well maybe after my massage.

BACK AGAIN!

As you all can see I took the summer off. Winter was extremely difficult for me last year so I wanted time to "sort my head out". Have I achieved that? Probably not because life has a habit of changing the game once you think you have figured it out. My life evolves, an ever changing view and beliefs. So much has happened this summer and I will be blogging about it over the upcoming weeks. So far we have moved,my oldest son moved out, I`ve applied for a huge new job, our beloved family dog passed away after 18 years of devotion, work comings and goings and so much more crafty and painting stuff to show and tell. I have decided to stick with blogging for now as means to express myself and not to get "caught up" in the world out there as much.Inspiration is a good thing but competition breeds disatisfaction in my own life and work and I don`t need it.Plain and simple. I will write as if to entertain myself and my beautiful followers ,if I gain m ore "friends" great.If not ...its all good. In the wise words of another blogger I will "let myself be Awesome" hahaha.

Something odd happened this morning.

It`s Sunday morning and I had a very lazy start and woke at around 9 am something that rarely happens.Hubby and middle boy awake but quietly going about their lazy morning.(Actually Hubby was just getting in from working 4am till 7am)Anyway, this is not the odd thing that happened.I have been thinking a lot about my blogging or not blogging depending on how busy I have been.In fact thinking about many things in my life and the turmoil it is becoming and my anxiety about the speed and lack of control.Getting back to blogging I wanted to think and reorganize how I do things so it is more regular and getting back to what it started out to be about....me!I also questioned whether to continue or not.Yes ,,the thought to stop before I get halfway through the year.I signed in to Blogger this morning and the very first blog I went to update is "frugal Decor Mom" Low and behold her blog was a goodbye blogg titled "I have come to a conclusion"Letting her followers know why she is ending her blog ,how it is taking her time away from her children and husband and how she wants to get back to what means the most to her. Isn`t it strange when you are searching for answers something always "pops up"?I have always believed in things will open to you at the moment it is ready to be accepted in to my life.I just have to listen. So the question still remains.Do I stop blogging or do I just reorganize?.........I really do not know.So my favourite mantra right now is "Keep Calm and make a cup of tea" So I will do this and then come back later or tomorrow morning with the result. Happy Sunday peeps.

"Just For the Record"

Another challenge,another blog.I was going to spend my day organizing some things for our upcoming move but felt drawn to my sanctuary(craft room).I decided to try another challenge this one being from Echo Park papers.I can do a layout or perhaps a card?Nope, I decided to do a canvas.I bought a 6x6 pad of papers called "Just for the Record" and it is packed with gorgeous vintage style prints but I found the colour scheme more bold than the usual faded vintage.This reminded me of old English apron fabric and embroided hankies. I prepared my canvas with 2 prints one was a old newspaper print the other was like an old fashioned catalogue page.Lots of Mod Podge later and top coated I decided on a bird house with banners looking like an old laundry line.

I even used some patterned papers to make do for flowers along the bottom edge of the picture.Her is a closer look

When all is said and done I enjoy any of the crafts I do and try to find the right project for the right paper.This pad of 24 6x6 papers from Echo Park was screaming birdhouse treatment.(smile) I will however be doing another one but use if for a "she-art" canvas to come in the near future.I wait for inspiration.Happy scrappingerm I mean paper crafting peeps.

The Unity May Challenge

It is that time again and another Unity challenge. This month is "Tooty Fruity" and although I only have 2,count them 2.A pear and a cherry fruit related stamps.This was the first challenge.The second challenge,I have never done anything with fruit before? The only thing I could decide on was the colour scheme,I did`nt even have a photograph. I searched through my files and came across this photo of my son,Liam and his girlfriend,Alyssa. The day was beautiful and so were they.

I think it turned out nicely,they were my favourite summer photo`s last year.

My first love is scrap-booking,which began in the year 2000.I have always gone back to it and find a lot of my personal "sanctuary" when I am scrapping.Unable to sleep last night (did`nt go to bed till 3 a.m. I decided to make a card from the same stamp.( I do love Unity stamps for there clarity)

One of my favourite colours is orange.All stamps are Unity.Paper is Basic Grey and Bazzill(scraps)
Here are a few more layouts I have completed over the past week. The story behind these ones is I found 2 shoe boxes full of old photos of the boys. I was so excited to find them and forgotten some of the moments I had captured. My task this month and probably the summer is to get the all scrapped. It was so much fun finding them though.

I love this layout for another"friendly"challenge.
It may of taken a few extra hours to do the flowers( I did 3) but it was worth it.Gavin was about 6 and in gymnastics and always hammed it up for a camera.

more..

I could`nt think of a title for this collection of photo`s, so I used the border of stamps as the title.
one more layout

finally, a Christmas layout from many moons ago,probably close to 10 years.I look back at their silly faces and remember how much fun they were.Good times.

It is wonderful finding long lost photo`s but difficult to scrapbook,specifics are gone.I am going to see what I can find out there in "google-land" to help with some but I think mainly rely on other`s memories because it is far better than mine. At the end of it all though I remember the love.Happy scrapping.