Family scrapbook

Make a Smilebox scrapbook

Canvas clock

I started to do this canvas last year. First I worked on it with glimmer mist and ink-pads, partly stamped some corner motives and some script in the middle, and then did some random embossing with gold and colourless powder. I didn't know what to do with it, so I put it in my capacious built in cupboard. They yesterday Jenni, one of the *girls* on our scrapbooking forum, was talking about a canvas she was planning to paint and stamp, and it reminded me of my *hidden* one. Got it out, looked at it, and still didn't know what to do with it. Decided to glaze it with glimmer mod-podge and some glitter in gold and pink, but it still somehow looked unfinished. Then I remembered a broken clock I had seen in the same cupboard - took it out, took it apart, made a hole in the canvas and fixed it to the middle. Decided to put a battery in it to see if it would work, and lo and behold, it started ticking. Then I took it apart again and removed the clock-face, it just didn't look right. Put the clock back again, stuck a chipboard frame round it, and now I have a canvas clock. The clock does not seem to be very accurate, but it moves and ticks - what more can one want?

Growing Older

My friend Narda sent me this article. Thanks Narda, there's a lot of truth in it!

Written By Regina Brett, 90 years old, of The Plain Dealer, Cleveland , Ohio

"To celebrate growing older, I once wrote the 45 lessons life taught me. It is the most-requested column I've ever written."

1. Life isn't fair, but it's still good.
2. When in doubt, just take the next small step.
3. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.
4. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends and parents will. Stay in touch.
5. Pay off your credit cards every month.
6. You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.
7. Cry with someone. It's more healing than crying alone.
8. It's OK to get angry with God. He can take it.
9. Save for retirement starting with your first paycheck.
10. When it comes to chocolate, resistance is futile.
11. Make peace with your past so it won't screw up the present.
12. It's OK to let your children see you cry.
13. Don't compare your life to others. You have no idea what their journey is all about.
14. If a relationship has to be a secret, you shouldn't be in it..
15. Everything can change in the blink of an eye. But don't worry; God never blinks.
16. Take a deep breath. It calms the mind.
17. Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful or joyful.
18. Whatever doesn't kill you really does make you stronger.
19. It's never too late to have a happy childhood. But the second one is up to you and no one else.
20.. When it comes to going after what you love in life, don't take no for an answer.
21. Burn the candles, use the nice sheets, wear the fancy lingerie. Don't save it for a special occasion. Today is special.
22. Over prepare, then go with the flow.
23. Be eccentric now. Don't wait for old age to wear purple.
24. No one is in charge of your happiness but you.
25. Frame every so-called disaster with these words ''In five years, will this matter?".
26. Always choose life.
27. Forgive everyone everything.
28. What other people think of you is none of your business.
29. Time heals almost everything. Give time, time.
30. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.
31. Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.
32. Believe in miracles.
33. God loves you because of who God is, not because of anything you did or didn't do.
34. Don't audit life. Show up and make the most of it now.
35. Growing old beats the alternative -- dying young.
36. Your children get only one childhood.
37. All that truly matters in the end is that you loved.
38. Get outside every day. Miracles are waiting everywhere.
39. If we all threw our problems in a pile and saw everyone else's, we'd grab ours back.
40. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.
41. The best is yet to come.
42. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.
43. Yield.
44. Life isn't tied with a bow, but it's still a gift.

The King lives on....or *Oldies but Goldies*

Made this LO for a challenge on the scrapbooking section of DC. We had to use 3 patterned papers, 2 plain papers, 3 of something, ribbons or wool and a song title - GRRRRRRRRRRRR!!!! I used coordinating papers from WRMK Silver lining collection, photos of Elvis, 3 brackets and enough patterned and plain papers to need sunglasses! The song text is on the back of the LO. I made an overlay with "Return to Sender" stamps on overhead transparency foil. The photos have been laminated to give them more depth. In spite of the *conditions* not being quite to my liking, I enjoyed making it. I listened to Elvis songs for nearly 2 hours, danced through my living room, and felt like a teenie again.Then I saw myself in the mirror, nearly said "Hello, Gran!" and decided to make a strong coffee and sit down for an hour. Oldies but goldies!

Playing around with stamps and inks....

I have been trying out different things with my new stash. For these cards I used chromolux paper, which I first treated with a resist ink pad from Ranger. Then it has been sprayed with a little glimmer mist, and stamped with a floral background using a silver ink pad. Then I partially inked the angel stamp with Ranger *wild plum* and stamped it on top. Thanks to the resist-ink, the different layers all remain visible, and according to how the light falls on the page, the background or sometimes the foreground seems to be on top. The second picture has an additional layer with a script stamp. This is the first time I have tried this, and it is an interesting technique which I will definitely try again when I have some free time.

Tomorrow has to be better....

Today was one of those days which one could scratch out of the calendar and not miss a thing. I had the day off, could have slept late, done something nice. The reality was different, slept badly, woke up with a splitting headache early in the morning and couldn't drop off to dreamland again. Rolled out of bed, fell over a shoe which should have been on the shoe-shelf, put my dressing gown on back to front - well, why not? and staggered to the coffee-maker in the kitchen. Managed to work the machine without it exploding or burning me - wonders never cease - and crept to the computer with my mug of cappuccino, if I did spill some on the carpet I managed to dribble it onto the brown spot of the carpet, so it was not visible. Spent the next hour or so chatting to friends on DC and laughing at other people's antics (someone got the days all muddled up, didn't they Gina!?) At 11 a.m. I was feeling awake enough to have a bath, and then got on with making Christmas cards, It's not something I really like that much, albums are more to my taste, but we need a lot to sell at the Christmas Market in December, so I have to do a few each week. I was so tired that it was difficult to concentrate on anything, so after lunch - if you can call bread and cheese and a coffee *lunch* -I tried to have a sleep, but inspite of being tired I just could not sleep. OK - plan B, large cup of strong coffee and then did the place-cards for the big supper on Friday night when all the guests will be coming, and they are even legible. This evening I want to try a few pockets and tags with the new stash I bought on Sunday, the ones I made I like very much, so I will try a few more. And then the dreaded seating plan for Friday will be due, but if I plan it in my head while I'm stampin' and sprayin' I should get it done quickly. And if not, I will have had a nice evening, and tomorrow is another day!
(The pockets and tags have been made using glimmer mist, Tim Holtz screens, and diverse stamps and accessories.)

New Stash, a dead bird and a traffic jam....

Yesterday I went on an outing to "Stempel Mecca", a craft fair in Hagen, a town some 80 kilometers from Düsseldorf. I had stayed up rather late the evening before, and then put the light out and wanted to sleep at about 1.30 a.m. Just as I was drifting off, I heard strange noises, coming from the direction of the window, fluttering and scratching. I tried to ignore it, but it would not let me sleep, so I got up and went to the window. The noises stopped, and I could see nothing. I thought it must be a leaf caught on the window frame and fluttering in the breeze, as the window was open at the top. So, went back to bed, tried to sleep. Was 2.30 by then, and the noises kept starting again. Every time I got up and went to the window, there was nothing to see or hear. Sooner or later the noises stopped, but I didn't get to sleep till 5a.m., which made the night very short. Got up, opened the curtains and looked again if I could see what had caused those strange noises in the night. At first I saw nothing, then I saw a shadow in the vase on the window sill. It's a red murano-glass vase with a bottle neck. I looked inside it, and saw, to my horror, a bird, dead and stiff with outstretched wings and claws. The poor thing must have flown by mistake through the window and then nose-dived into the vase, and couldn't get out again, hence the frantic attempts in the night. It must have died of exhaustion. This morning I managed to remove the bird from the vase with a wire sling, and have buried it outside in the garden. The vase has been washed and disinfected, but I do not want to keep it anymore, so I will give it to the next charity shop.
Anyway, after that strange start to the day, my friend B collected me and we drove off to Hagen. No problems, we got there in an hour and even found a good parking space almost in front of the door. We paid our admission, got a stamp on our hands - a blue flower - and submerged ourselves in paradise. Lots of stands from all over Europe and the USA, with stamps, inks, paper and equipment galore, enough to let every scrapper's heart beat quicker. There were lots of craft demonstrations, too, where they showed amazing ways to use stamps and inks and colours, and produced fantastic and inspiring things. I was determined to only buy a few new stamp pads, which I did, although the term *few* is relative. Somehow the baskets filled up at each stand, and we both came home with several bags full of crafty bits and bobs and prospects and little presents. The two demonstrators from *Heindesign* were really marvelous, it was very fascinating to see what works of art they made in the shortest time, we could have watched for hours. But it was time to start the journey home. We wanted to go to Burger King on the way back and have something to eat, so we set off in high and hungry spirits. After a few minutes, we were on the motorway heading to Essen, everything stopped - a traffic jam. On a Sunday, and it seemed to have no apparent cause. We had seen no signs warning about jams or building works, nothing had been broadcast over the radio. It took more than an hour for the next 7 kilometers, till we could leave the motorway and head off somewhere - anywhere, we didn't know or care exactly where we were, we just wanted to get moving. Later we heard in the radio that the motorway had been closed due to road-works, but they had evidently forgotten to post their signs or broadcast in time....After a few minutes, we were looking for a garage, we saw some wonderful signs, not in the sky, but ahead of us on the road - not only a garage, but KFC and Burger King, too! After filling ourselves up in BK, B filled the car, and the rest of the journey home - on a different motorway - was quick and uneventful. It was a long, interesting day in the company of my best friend and scrap-mate, and I enjoyed every minute of it, even the traffic jam....still, it was a pity about that poor bird!

Crazy NYC Album

Make a Smilebox slideshow

An early start....

Last week I went to my friend B for a crop. We settled ourselves comfortably in her well-stocked craft-room (why do we always think that others have more than we do?), and each had to set a challenge for the other one, and it had to be something different from the things they usually do. I gave B a mini chipboard album to cover in bright Xmasy colours - not her favourites, and she challenged me to do a Layout in black and white about what I wanted to be as a child. Grey and silver were also allowed as deviants of black and white, so we both got started. I always wanted to be a teacher, as far back as I can remember, I never thought of doing anything else. I used to line the neighbours kids up, and get them to sit on the stairs so that I could teach them *important things*. I did not let myself be discouraged by first problems (kids who cried, wanted to go back home, started to shove each other about etc), this was a just a mild foretaste of things to come. Altogether I taught at different secondary schools for more than 35 years, and although I was happy to retire, I can look back on many happy times and experiences, and do not regret my early decision.

Crazy Castle Album

Made this album over the last few evenings, didn't like it all at first, but it has grown on me, and "with a little help from my friends" (especially Gina), I now like it. Thanks to the DC Scrappers who made good suggestions for changing the binding, which I did.

Chips with ketchup and majo...

Today is Saturday. A pleasant day, time to do what I want or to leave what I don't want to do. The weather is pleasant, a typical late summer, or perhaps early autumn day. The cycle of time seems to turn faster and faster with every approaching or passing birthday. Yesterday I was at the old people's home where I work, a beautiful place, which offers a cultivated ambience and good food and care to all residents. But yesterday, 2 old ladies didn't seem to enjoy their lunch of fried fish, potatoes and salad, although it was delicious. Tastes are known to be different. Then I watched how 2 of our old girls put their jackets on and left the home, rather surrepticiously, with lots of giggling, and looking back over their shoulders. I watched them out of my window, and saw that they went to the takeaway across the road, where they shared a paper plate of chips with ketchup and mayonnaise or *majo* as it is called here. They enjoyed their lunch no end, and came giggling and rather guiltily back to the home. I asked if they had been for a walk, and they said, with lots of giggles again, that they had been for a few steps in the park to digest their dinners. Later, when I was drinking coffee with them, they told me their "big secret" and were still giggling like 2 small girls at school. I asked them if it was better, and they answered "it was just something different, it was fun!" And I think that really was the whole point of it. We have the whole world in front of our door, we just need to open it, go out, and enjoy what's on the other side of the road. Take a taste of something different, before it's too late!

Quiz for a rainy day- Come and play with me!

And the winner is....................
GINA R, Mrs TSV. Well done, your prize will soon be speeding on its way to you per post!!




How good are you at answering quesions?
Try this quiz, and see how many you get right:
This is a Quiz for People Who Know Everything !

I found out in a hurry that I didn't.

These are not trick questions. They are straight questions with straight answers

1. Name the one sport in which neither the spectators nor the participants know
the score or the leader until the contest ends.

2. What famous North American landmark is constantly moving backward?

3. Of all vegetables, only two can live to produce on their own for several growing seasons. All other vegetables must be replanted every year. What are the only two perennial vegetables?

4. What fruit has its seeds on the outside?

5. In many liquour stores, you can buy pear brandy, with a real pear inside the bottle. The pear is whole and ripe, and the bottle is genuine; it hasn't been cut in any way. How did the pear get inside the bottle?

6. Only three words in standard English begin with the letters " dw" and they are all common words. Name two of them.

7. There are 14 punctuation marks in English grammar. Can you name at least half of them?

8. Name the only vegetable or fruit that is never sold frozen, canned, processed, cooked, or in any other form except fresh.

9. Name 6 or more things that you can wear on your feet beginning with the letter "S."

Copy and paste the questions onto your blog and get going with the answers. Leave me a link to your blog and then the Blogger with all - or the most - answers rght gets a little pressie. If more people have them all right, I will draw one name. Good luck! Oh, you have time till Friday 11th September.
PS for those who don't have a blog, or don't want to blog the answers, send me a PM at DC.

New Triptych album

Made this album last night to try and cure my headaches and not-exactly-good mood after a (dis)stressing day....