More Challenges

Last month the quick technique challenge was to use something you've never used before on a layout which is an everyday item. The first one I did last month was using crushed fine white stones as a path leading to photos of my garden. I decided to do a couple more LO's along the same theme. One I used feathers for the photos of parrots which visit out yard & the other grevillea leaves for photos of some of our grevilleas in flower.
This month the challenge was to scrap a self-portrait with hidden journalling. My journalling is on a tag which slides in behind the top photo.

Mini Retreat

Well last weekend was the Blumars Retreat in Perth, however those of us who were unable to travel that distance were able to purchase a kit and work on the classes and challenge from home. Mum was able to come and spend the weekend with me and we had a wonderful time.

On Friday everyone had to dress in colours of the rainbow - this is mum's & my effort - lol - we are trying to sort of pages for the paper bag album which was one of the classes.

The paper bag album -Another class was to alter a letter. Here is my effort.Mum and I on Saturday - having time out with a cuppa - in the middle of making cards using stamps on acetate. This class was soooo frustrating - kept having the stamps blur & then had trouble lining up the card.

The stamped acetate cards -
The girls in Perth were having their photos taken in their PJ's so us mini-retreaters were asked to do the same.
This is the challenge - it was to make a tag album - something to store all the tags that were swapped over the weekend. I sent my tags over to Perth so am now awaiting the lovely assortment to put into my little album.

Fantastic News

I have just found out that I took out the overall prize for Blumars, a 1st prize in one category and a 2nd prize in another. There are some fabulous prizes which I won - a Scraptote trolley & satchel as well as a trophy & also gift vouchers to spend in the Blumars Craft Shop. So that has really made my day .............

Our challenges this month for Blumars were to make a Mother's Day card and also so a layout and to decorate a frame which would then suit the layout. My card has a little pocket on the front with a sentiment written on the card which slides neatly into the pocket.

This is my frame and layout - I wanted a fairly plain frame to did it with crackle medium and just adorned it with a few beads threaded on fine wire.

The photographic challenge for the month was to use Depth of Field so that the main object of interest is focused but the background is slightly blurry. I couldn't find anything flowering so used one of our fence posts instead.

Photo Impact

I'm still plodding along with my Graphics course. Getting near to the end and in a way I'll be sorry to be finished yet will be happy to have completed it. There is so much I still want to do as this course has only touched on the basics but I have found it very interesting & will be trying lots of other techniques in the future. There is a wonderful supportive group of PI users who are there to assist & encourage each other and with all the new tutorials being written I think I will be kept out of mischief for some time to come.

I haven't been able to post my last few projects as they are animated & every time I load them it fails and I just get a static image on the screen (so if anyone has any ideas of where I am going wrong I would love to know.)

Weekend at Forest Glen

Hubby & I have just had a lovely weekend away with friends at Forest Glen Resort. We rented one of the larger villas for two nights and had a fabulous time. Friday night another friend came who only lived a short distance away came over to visit so it was lovely to have a good catch-up. We had only met a few months ago via Blumars and have forged strong friendships since. Saturday morning we went for a drive to the Maroochy Bush Botanic Gardens.......what a lovely peaceful place. It was showery but we were able to dodge most of them and have a good wander around.
Then come afternoon the three of us girls crafted while our hubbies veged out. I made some beaded butterflies, dragonflies & ladybirds and the others were either making cards of journals. It's great to be able to craft with friends as most of the time I am doing things by myself.

Yippee ...................

I have just found out that I have won the March Weekend Workshop OTP - which was a decorated box and also the Photographic Challenge for March.

April Weekend Workshop

Mum came up last weekend to scrap with me. Blumars was having an on-line weekend workshop which we were participating in. The challenges were to do a layout predominantly in red & also a thankyou card in red. The OTP challenge was to decorate a candle. As always I ended up doing about two of the cards & had 2 false starts on the OTP before I settled on a design. I know I'm too fussy but have always been like that - won't accept any half-measures.

This is my card:
And the layout:Finally the altered candle:

Wonderful Friends

What wonderful friends I have. Had been having a lousy week - fed up with everything and then a friend rings to invite me out Saturday afternoon. Wasn't going to go originally as I didn't feel all that sociable but really enjoy Kay's company so accepted her offer. It was great to have a catch up over a cuppa & then wander around looking at some fabulous quilts. Quilting isn't something that I have ever thought of taking up but I can really appreciate the craftsmanship which goes into each item.

Then on Sunday I get a phone call from another friend wanting to show me her new house & to take me out in the car she'd just purchased. What a wonderful place she has bought - a lovely home set on 2 acres with lots of bush gardens as well as grassed areas, fruit trees, a dam, chicken pen, pool & water features. Then of course we had to detour for a coffee afterwards.

I am truly blessed with the wonderful support that I have - it's incredible how when I am having a bad day I will either have an uplifting email sent or receive a phone call.

Totally Unmotivated & Muddling

Can't focus on doing anything at the moment. Don't know whether it's because of the meds or the fact that when I go out or do too much at home I end up with a flare-up which is taking longer & longer to settle each time. Find it much easier to just stay at home & muddle through the day.

Thoughts are all over the place at the moment - have to make lists of EVERYTHING that needs to be done - even habitual jobs like feeding the fish & giving the dogs their morning treat. It's soooo frustrating. Even my typing looks as if an alien has stolen the keyboard, changed the letters around & given it back to me - have to proof read everything & then I still find weird words. I find I'm losing blocks of time during the day where I just go into another world & then wake up 15/20 mins later.

The neuropathic probs in my hands & arms flares up at the drop of a hat - don't know what to do about that as last time I gave up my craft & computer I totally fell apart. Just feeling nothing at the moment - hard to explain.

Probably take on too much in the way of craft but at least I feel a bit better when I seem to be achieving something & having deadlines to meet spurs me on even if it means I'm doing something last minute.

Mmmmm - what have I done since Easter - not a lot - psychologist, physio, remedial massage, pilates, doctor - a very varied social life I lead - lol.

Physio & psychologist both want me to look at planning a holiday at the end of this year but keep putting it off - really feel like it's too much bother & it takes too long for things to settle down when I get home. Had a massive flare-up after last years trip which took months to settle. Don't know whether it's worth it - then I get the guilts because I know hubby wants to go away. Will have to think about this a bit more.