{Live beautifully...}

{Love this boy...}

#lifeisgood

{When a man loves a dog...}

{When a man loves a dog...} My mother used to say if you want to marry a man who is generous, attentive and affectionate you should marry a man who loves dogs. It is so heartwarming to see how my husband interacts with our Stoffel. The joy in his smile. The warmth in his voice. The gentleness of his touch and the love in his eyes. I love this about him so much!

{Magic and Wonder...}

This is my layout for CSI CC-4 in collaboration with Words and Paintery. This is how I solved the case :

Winter can be a beautiful season if you learn to embrace it.  I try to focus on the things I love about this season.  It is not always easy, as I find myself getting a little bit down during the winter months. It is, however, my choice how I deal with winter.  There are loads of reasons to celebrate the arrival of the chilly season. This is a photo of my daughter ten years ago, experiencing her first snow day.  It was during an outreach to the picturesque little town of Lady Grey in the Eastern Cape in South Africa. This small town is situated in the foothills of the Witteberg mountains and changes into a Winter Wonderland of snow during the wintertime. I don’t think she will ever forget the magic wonderland…hence the title of my layout.

This is how I solved the case :

The scheme : I used all the colours

Evidence:  stripes, snowflakes, 3 of something (3 tickets), glitter, texture paste and melt something (clear embossed the chipboard snowflakes and some of the background flakes)

Testimony : I choose a Winter Writing Promt. Why are you grateful for the winter season? List 10 things :

Wine tastes much better in the winter.

Lazy movie nights on the couch.

Misty mornings and golden sunsets.

Hot bowls of homemade soup and freshly baked bread.

Clear, bright blue winter skies.

Fabulous sweaters

Photoshoots…o yes my favourite. I love the vibe of winter photo shoots, all the fluffy scarves, coats and mittens, a perfect opportunity to play around with your accessories.

Sleeping in on a cold winter morning, buried in blankets with a good book.

The warmth of hot chocolate.

At the end of a day, the crackle of a roaring fire.

 This is the case file.

{Christmas Joy}

A New Year marks a new beginning.  New people to meet, new adventures  to enjoy and new memories to create.   I am wishing you all the happiest New Year ever filled with love and happiness! This is my daughter and Stoffel. He is also included in our Christmas photo shoot every year.

This is how I solved the case :

The scheme : I used all the colours

Evidence:  stripes, dots, banners, arrows, holiday accents, decorative border, string and branches.

Testimony : I documented the holidays

Every year, December, something magical happens. It is not just something in the air; it is something in our hearts. We celebrate Christmas time by surrounding ourselves with friends, family, and our loved ones.  We celebrate the miraculous birth of Jesus that changed the World forever.  I love Christmas because for once the world stops and suddenly we see what it is all about…love, togetherness, sharing, caring and giving, and simply being with those we love.  I also adore the special feeling it produces, the magic in the air, the excitement, the anticipation in the atmosphere,  it is also a time when we require to make certain that our furry friends are safe and taken care of when we leave for vacation.  I am so thankful that our Stoffel can go to a Doggy Daycare.  Being the oldest at 14 he gets VIP treatment and lots of love.  He is by far the favourite!  The interaction and socializing with other dogs is good for him, it teaches him doggy etiquette and good manners, not that Stoffel agrees, I mean who needs good manners at 14?  He looks ten years younger when we fetch him, probably all the female attention he gets.  After all he is good looking!

Here is the case file and the sketch.  Thank you for looking.

{Your path...}

This is my last layout for 2014.  We are leaving on a well deserved vacation on Tuesday. Have a wonderful and blessed Christmas and New Year.  Please drive safe this festive season.  See you in 2015.  Today I am sharing my first mixed media canvas.  The background was inspired by Yulia Mozhova.  Thank you Yulia, your layouts are stunning.  I covered my canvas with fabric for texture. I used anglaise lace.  The background was made with modeling paste, stamping, distress inks, acrylic paints and washi tape.  And of course, losts of Prima flowers and embellies.  Here is my canvas and some close-ups.  Thank you for looking.

{Delight in the little things...}

This is my take on CSI 133. I just love the colour palette, remind me of the sunset. This is a photo of my daughter at a rose farm.

This is how I solved the case :

The scheme : I used all the colours

Evidence:

Flowers, polka dots, flair and paint/watercolor

Testimony:

Inspiration word : delight and my journaling is on the back of my layout and reads as follows :

What is so great about the tittle things in life…they are what we will remember and appreciate when we reflect on days gone by. If you neglect to enjoy these little things, you are left with daily struggles, disappointments and the disasters when we least expect it. Find time to appreciate the things that seem insignificant but truly do change our overall perspective on life.  We tend to take these small, but mighty things for granted. Between the rush of work, house chores, kids, and just the overall hustle and bustle of life in general, it is so easy to let these things slip away.  But if you haven't already, try to take the time to notice the small, but beautiful things in your life...

{I believe in you...}

This is my take on CSI 116, but unfortunately I was to late to post it to the CSI blog.
This is how I solved the case :
The scheme : I used all the colours
Evidence:
Music elements, circles, metal, electricity (sewing) and a solid black background
Testimony:
This layout is about my husband and I used a song title.  A Don Williams song, “I BELIEVE IN YOU.”
I don't believe in superstars,
Organic food and foreign cars.
I don't believe the price of gold;
The certainty of growing old.
That right is right and left is wrong,
That north and south can't get along.
That east is east and west is west.
And being first is always best.
But I believe in love.
I believe in babies.
I believe in Mom and Dad.
And I believe in you.
My journalling is on the back of my layout and reads as follow...

Choosing to be positive and having a grateful attitude is going to determine how you are going to live your life…this is a Joel Osteen quote, and this is how you live your life. When things are going bad, you always say to me…just believe…and I believe you, I always do.  You are such an optimist and the most positive person I know. Your attitude is that every day is going to be a great day, that there is always something to be happy about. Although our lives are filled with challenges that make it very difficult to be positive sometimes, you are constantly striving to see the positive in every aspect of your life. I have learned from you to focus on the positive things in life and that a positive attitude is a choice…

{Dream...}

This is my take on CSI 115. Thank you my friends for looking.

This is how I solved the case :

The scheme : I used all the colours
Evidence :
Hearts, leaves, flowers, stamps, pen work and mixed media background
Testimony :
I have been contemplating about this layout a lot this week, thinking what my title and journaling should be.  Then life happens…I made this layout for my daughter and her boyfriend. Together they have to make big decisions which will be life changing for them. I decided to use one of the inspirational words Dream. My journaling is on the back of my layout.

“May all your dreams come true…”this phrase holds so much truth that can be life changing. There is something about this phrase that captures me, perhaps it is because we all have dreams, thousands of dreams! Some of our dreams we have pursued, some with success and some that we cherish in our hearts and a few that are just sweet memories… but at least we tried. Let me encourage you, the sky is the limit and let your imagination go with your dreams. The two of you are still going to embark on many different roads to see which one leads you to your dreams and each road will prepare you in some way for the next adventure or for something bigger, something unusual, something life changing. I hope and pray that you make the right decision and may all your dreams come true.  Remember, it is your job to make your dreams come true, do not quit your job!

The story of my HE{ART}

My take on challenge #108 over at CSI

I loved the colour scheme, and the inspiration by the design team members wowed me!!

 This is how I solved the case :

The scheme : I used all the colours

Evidence :

Mixed media background, bird (stamped on the painting), newsprint, flowers and stamps

I made this painting a while ago. I painted the cupcake with acrylic paint on tung and groove. I white washed it first and then aged and distressed the wood with brown shoe polish. For the quote, I used some of my chippies!

Testimony (on the back of my layout)

Art has captivated me since early childhood. As a young girl, I doodled on every empty spot on whatever paper I could get my hands on.  I cherish every bit of art.  Art has been, and continues to be, the primary outlet for my feelings. Art can speak my truths and it is often more human to me than humanity is. I just love being able to express myself without speaking. Art has grown from a mild interest to an integral part of what defines me.  The constant challenge of updating and improving technique and styles, as well as continuously finding new inspiration, has always brought me deep satisfaction. I consider myself very lucky to be surrounded by so many talented artists. I love art.  I could probably equally say, “I live art.”  I spend every day of my life thinking about art.

{Every day Joy...}

This is my take on challenge 106 over at CSI.

This year I do not have a New Year’s Resolution. I decided to choose a word to focus on this year.  My power word is JOY.  There are so many big and small things that steal our joy daily, but I am going to do my utmost best to choose joy every day as my quote says. 

This is how I solved the case :

The scheme : I used all the colours

Evidence :

arrows

gold

numbers

circles

stripes

white background

 

Testimony :  About a New Year's Resolution on the back of my layout and reads as follows :

I say it every year, but I can hardly believe how quickly 2013 have flown by. It has been a rough one for me in more ways than one and I can’t say I am sorry to see it go.  I have high hopes for 2014 though.

This is the first year I have chosen a word to claim as my focal point for the year.  As I have been praying about what word to use for 2014, several popped into my head over the last few weeks.  The word JOY is the single word that stuck out above all. Therefore, for the year 2014, I have chosen to focus on the word JOY. A kind of JOY that manifests down in the depths of my heart...and leaves me in awe every day...

I prefer to find JOY in the small things as well as bigger. I want to find JOY in every experience of life. I want to seek JOY in the people that surround me.  I choose to be JOYful that I have so many blessings.  Even in the darkness, there is light, and having JOY will show me that light and amplify it. Only a three letter word, but for me a very big challenge.

JOY can be constant if you choose it...

{Fairies are handmade by God...}

My take on CSI S365-3 I just love the pinks and yellows.  The background of this layout was inspired by Kelly Foster.  For the background I used Lindy's stamp gang, Finnabair's circle stencil, water soluble pencils and some shimmerz. I also stamped the background with Bo Bunny's bingo clear stamp, Prima's stitch circles and KaiserCraft's script clear stamp.  I "handemade" the flowers and "hand stitched" the title  to go with the title. This is how I solved the case :

The scheme : I used all the colours
Evidence : beads, stitching (the title), birds, flowers, pearls and glitter
Testimony : I used the inspiration word "handmade" in my title and journaling. This is a photo of my daughter-in-law and her best friend. They decided one year for their birthday they wanted a fairy photoshoot and I was to happy to help.  My journaling is on a tag hidden behind the photo and reads as follows :

This was my first encounter with fairies. This is a true story…not a make believe story…You do need to believe in fairies before you can see them, and they need to know that they can trust you before they will show themselves to you. Fairies are very shy and quietly spend their days caring for plants and flowers in gardens. I found these two fairies in my garden playing their favourite game, hide and seek. They were so beautiful, I believe they are handmade by God, dressed in precious lace and silk costumes. At first, my camera frightened them but I slowly gained their trust by showing them I do not mean any harm. These little people do not like to be photographed due to their desire for secrecy. I was charming and kind to them and they agreed to some photos. This was so much fun and I could see that they were also enjoying the photoshoot.  They were dancing, singing, and hiding inside flowers. They also whispered to me that they have been best friends forever. Always treat fairies with kindness and respect…if you are lucky enough to meet them!

 

 

 

{A walk through the garden gate...}

My take on CSI 99. I loved the colour pallette, my fav colours.  For the background I used Tim Holtz distress paint, stencils and gesso.  My journalling reads as follows :

I fell in love with these tiny micro veggies the moment I saw them in one of our local shops.  They are super cute, carrots, radishes and spring onions. Off course perfect for the new CSI challenge so I just had to get some, with a husband just shaking his head.  The thing is, I see potential in the little things, I explained. I believe micro veggies are very easy to grow.  You can grow them outside, in a garden bed or in containers, or inside on a sunny windowsill.  This is just what I will be doing next year…perhaps one of my New Year resolutions…

{Brrr...}

In South Africa where we stay we never see snow.  The first time I ever saw snow was when I was in matric, 32 years ago.  This is a photo of my daughter, this was her first snow as well.  After she left school she attended a  service year for Christ and during her outreach to Lady Grey it snowed. For the background I used sprays, gesseo, gelatos and a prima stencil, some sewing and washi tape.  I entered this layout for the White with 1 November challenge.

{Dream}

This is my take on Challenge #98 over at CSI.  I loved working with this colour scheme. For the testimony I used the word "dream." My journalling is on the spiral notebook paper behind the photo and reads as follows : From the second you were born, I felt an intense need to dream for you. As you became older, those dreams and ideas have changed.  Every parent wishes only the best for their children, but sometimes life gives us the best perspectives, by giving us some of the worst times. It is often through difficult times that we find the truest joys of life. Looking back so many of your dreams have come true and some shattered, but you have learned how resilient your spirit is as you overcome life’s disappointments.   Never give up on your dreams or walk away from them, a great dream usually takes many years to mature. Have total faith in yourself and especially in God, and always remember, God’s dreams are far bigger than we could ever imagine ourselves.  May the Lord broaden your horizons for all the rich promises He has in store for you. Be happy as you travel along the journey of life, a life rich in texture, the staircase to your great dreams…