Scrap Addicts

The SCRAP ADDICTS : Linda, Leonie, Alison, Lynette and Lynn

The scrap addicts have been together since 1998, and we scrap together once a month on a Saturday.  We schedule the dates a year in advance - "if it's not in the diary, it won't happen".  We sometimes have to change the dates because life happens, but generally, we are pretty regular with our monthly scrap date.

We also save money each month for an annual scrapbooking retreat in December at a beautiful location.  When the time comes, everything is paid for, and all we need to do is pack our scrap supplies, and enjoy a whole weekend of scrapbooking.

I really enjoy scrapping with this special group of ladies.  The benefits of scrapping with a group are:

• we inspire each other creatively
• we learn from each other - scraplifting is very common
• we really enjoy each others' company and laugh a lot when we are together
• occasionally we talk more than we scrap, but we also do a whole lotta scrapping
• scrapbooking is our therapy, we can talk through life's challenges, get and give advice while indulging in paper, ribbon and embellishments
• I scrap a lot more with the group than when I scrap on my own

I feel really blessed to be part of this special group of ladies.

He is risen



The soldiers brought Jesus to Golgotha.  They nailed him to the cross at nine o'clock in the morning.  Along with him, they crucified two criminals. 

At noon, the sky became extremely dark.  The darkness lasted three hours.  At three o'clock, Jesus groaned out of the depths, crying loudly "My God, My God, why have You abandoned me?"  Jesus, with a loud cry, gave His last breath.  At that moment, the temple curtain ripped right down the middle.  When the roman captain standing guard in front of Him saw that He had quit breathing, he said "This has to be the son of God!"

Very early on Sunday morning, as the sun rose, Mary Magdalene, Mary and Salome went to the tomb.  They saw a young man sitting on the right side, dressed all in white.  He said "Don't be afraid.  I know you're looking for Jesus the Nazarene, the one they nailed to the cross.  He's been raised up, He's no longer here"

The Master Jesus was taken up to heaven, and He sat down beside God in the place of honour.

HE IS RISEN

(Taken from the Message - Mark 15 and 16)

Shout of JOY

"Inside everyone is a great shout of joy waiting to be born"
  **David Whyte**

It's there inside each one of us, sometimes deeply buried and forgotten in the turmoil of life.  But it is there, this great shout of JOY, the potential for delight and sheer joy.  You just have to excavate it, dig it out and thaw it in the sunlight. 

Your great shout of joy is in you and just waiting to be reborn.

Taken from my (unpublished) book "Whispered Comfort"

Wishing you JOY this Easter weekend!

Waiting

I'm no good at waiting.  I am notoriously impatient.  My flight to Cape Town is indefinitely delayed this morning due to thick fog at Lanseria airport.  And so I wait.  And I see...

• irritated children
• frazzled parents
• relaxed leisure travellers
• irritated business travellers (me!)
• old people who are not sure what is going on
• desperate phone calls
• the noise and hum of frustration

I want to be more patient.  To live in the moment.

According to Buddha, "things are as they should be"

I will take out my novel, read, breathe, accept things as they are

Girls and their toys

I have had cats all my life.  I adore the little furry beasts.  Sometimes I don't understand them.  Their latest game is to throw all their toys into their water bowl, and then try and fish the toys out again.  Result - water all over the floor.  I have wooden floors in my home.  Wood and water don't mix well.  They don't care.  I get grumpy.  Love them anyway.

"Raising kids (cats!) is part joy and part guerilla warfare" 
 **Ed Asner**

a mouse and a hair band in their water bowl

Miss Ruby

Miss Bella

You know what makes you happy

"The older you get, the more access you have to real fun.  You know what makes you happy, which isn't necessarily what you once thought it would be.  In every moment you have the ability to choose what serves your best interests.  Why not choose it now"
 ** Oprah **

One of the benefits of growing older is that we generally know what we like and what makes us happy, and also what we really don't like.  For years I have felt awful about really disliking company social events, feeling obliged to socialise with work colleagues; I don't like being forced to make small talk about rubbish with people that I spend all day at work with.  I don't want to do it.  I have made peace with this and decided that it's ok for me.

I choose instead to focus on what makes me happy, and I'm choosing it now.  A little bit of happiness this weekend may include...

• scrapping with The Scrap Addicts on Saturday (makes me VERY happy)
• hot coffee and a movie with my girls (Bella and Ruby) on my lap
• maybe a little walk
• "book club in bed" on Sunday - reading my book and some magazines, and a bit of Bible study

What makes YOU happy?  Why not choose it now?

6 things on Thursday

1. I have officially switched over from summer sandals to warm socks and boots; the temperatures in Johannesburg are falling fast
2. I'm loving wedgeheel shoes this season
3. the home uncluttering is going well, not fast, just well; I donate unwanted items to the SPCA (Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals) who then sell the goodies in their shop to raise funds for the animals
4. I did not drink a drop of coffee last week, and am on a limited amount of decaf coffee this week.  Bottom line - I am a coffee-holic, and decaf coffee is better than no coffee (WHEN is Starbucks coming to South Africa???)
5. I am making some progress with my Move More Eat Less campaign, Cathy Zielske is awesome inspiration http://www.cathyzielske.typepad.com/
6. A little picture of my beloved Princess Elizabeth in her costume and waterwings at the coast

Layouts to share

Some student / studying layouts to share...

I made this layout entirely out of scrap paper,

added some sticker letters and stamped letters

I used mostly scraps of paper, acrylic paint and eyelets here

I used lots of acrylic paint here and big foam stamps

I also lightly painted the page and then journaled over the paint

This is a chipboard overlay which I painted

and then added dimensional glaze on a few of the numbers

Paper, some ribbon and a few embellishments.

I keep a master file of templates (the swirly brackets)

so that I can use them over and over again

I have a seperate album with all the layouts which I completed about my 2-year MBA journey.  I tried to complete a layout every 2 to 3 months about this incredibly tough time in my life, so there are too many layouts to include in my normal chronological album.  I mostly scrap chronologically, and do an album for each year (I am currently scrapping photo's from 2010).


Enjoy!

Quiet desperation

"This is not the age of information.

This is not the age of information.

Forget the news and the radio,

and the blurred screens.

This is the time of loaves and fishes.

People are hungry,

and one good word

is bread for a thousand"

                                                     **David Whyte ~ "The house of belonging"

As the world becomes increasingly complex and impersonal, many people lead lives of quiet desperation.  Just getting by, just getting through each day, just hanging on.  The antidote must surely be kindness, connection and words that heal.

** Taken from my (unpublished) book "Whispered Comfort" **

Parcels from the post office

Parcels from the post office are like little out-of-cycle Christmas presents to me.  More books.  I know.  Get over it.  I'm just saying... I love books so that's that. 

2 books for my trip to Italy with Ali Edwards in October, Easy Pilates by Mina Stephens to take on my regular travels (I DO occasionally get down on the floor of the hotel room and do some pilates stretches...need to do it more regularly though), The Handbag and Wellies Yoga Club by Lucy Edge (a true story, reading it now), Sabbath by Wayne Muller (bought an extra copy as a gift), and a number of creative books.

The icy fingers of Winter are tightening their grip on my life.  Curled up in a chair with hot coffee and a good book - delicious.

Princess Elizabeth

My niece - Princess Elizabeth.  How can such a little person be so bewitching and invade my heart so deeply.  Too gorgeous for words!

Miss Elizabeth is off to the seaside tomorrow for her first beach holiday.  She loves water; I wonder what she will think of the sea?  Will she love it or will it terrify her?  I'm sure she will love all the beach sand.

Love you baby girl!

"It's in their eyes that their magic resides"

"A baby girl...
one of the most beautiful miracles in life,
one of the greatest joys we can ever know,
and one of the reasons why
there is a little extra sunshine, laughter and happiness
in your world today."

** Author: Unknown **

Pet layouts to share

I'm totally in love with 2 short furry people - Bella and Ruby.  Here are some layouts to share of my furry children.

Layout to share

I am really enjoying some good old fashioned scrapbooking at the moment.  I attended a class by Tim Holtz last Saturday - I'm in love with his fun personality, laid back style of being creative and his great products (by Ranger). 

I'm enjoying the gentleness of scrapping, playing with paper and colour and stamps and ribbon and brads and chipboard and paint.  I'm loving the photo's all over again, remembering the actual event.

A little layout to share - a holiday in the Kruger National Park

Mini goals notepad

I love lists and make lots of TO DO notes.  I found this gorgeous mini goals notepad at Cape Town airport recently.  I'm sure that some of these notes will end up on my scrapbook pages

MINI GOALS for this week : 

• get up to date with buying gifts for the next 4 weeks and sending greeting cards
• exercise at least 4 times
• unclutter my office
• start Becky Higgins Project Life album

Hello April

Hello April.  Hello Autumn.  I see your pretty coat of red, orange and yellow leaves.  Hello to shorter days, longer nights and warm jerseys. 

I love Autumn and Spring, that time of year where nature pauses inbetween the hot and cold seasons.  She stops, looks around, shakes herself to shed last season, and then slowly steps forward into the new season.

Goodbye summer.  Goodbye salads, sandals and open windows.  Hello soup and hot toast, fleecy blankets, socks and boots.  Hello April.