something to celebrate....

making a coffee and pastry a little bit spesh...

I deserve to be smiling that my boys are going to be just fine this year....

having a laugh at the unexpected.....

putting my feet up and being spoilt by my Mum's home-made Tiramisu.....

being excited about doing something a little different....

having the confidence to try something new and then tossing it....

I have so many dreams and plans for 2011. Reading my old journals really has awakened something within me; an enthusiasm I thought I'd lost; an optimism that had nearly vanished....

and I feel RENEWED!!!!

4 journals....2 years

This is what packing your house does to you. When you need to get into the nitty-gritty dark, dank, musty, cobwebbed corners of your house, you find little treasures.
These 4 volumes chart my life from somewhere in 1991 to somewhere in 1993 - between 2 of the most influential relationships in my life; a 6 month solo overseas adventure; a lot of good times and a lot of sad times.

One thing I do know is that I'm still the same!

Still highly charged
Still emotional
Still passionate
Still love being in love
Still creative
Still have itchy feet
Still searching

I forgot a lot of dreams I had at this time:

Dreaming of a career in Art History and Journalism
Dreaming of my Knight in Shining Armour
Dreaming of living and working overseas
Dreaming of a lot of children

It has taken me a good couple of days' reading, but I've poured over every word, cried with my 22 year old self, laughed with some of the antics I got up to (boy, there were a lot of those!!!), re-lived all the wonderful sights I've seen, people I've met, friends I've made and hearts I've broken (and vise-versa).

I was going to burn them!!
But now I see the value of them, even though no-one else will read them. I can imagine my 62 year old self finding these treasures once again, perhaps as Michael and I are down-sizing, and reading every single word again and being transported to a world of that carefree yet intense spirit.

They were good times!! Times in your 20s that you can never reclaim because when you're in your 40s you just should be doing that shit!! LOL

It filled in a lot of detail of days that until now have only been "events". I now understand why I feel a particular way towards a person...it sounds weird, right? It's the same way a smell evokes a really intense emotion. These journals have given meaning to those feelings and it's great.

It's also played the role of MythBuster!! A lot of things I thought were true were just the embellishment of a nostalgic girl-come-woman. And that was refreshing!!

Anyhooo, off to do more packing. We can begin moving from this Friday.
Exciting and fearful all at once.

Things to be Excited About...

Sherry is doing a fab job enticing all talented types to come to Australia and teach us a thing or two.
Go here to learn more and sign up so you don't miss out.

Anyone who does colour like Julie is worthy of a couple of hundred groupies. If you can spare 10 minutes a day doing something that makes you happy, then go here, sign up (or just cyber-stalk her blog) and play along.

I'll be uploading my art journal pics on the weekend. It's been a struggle because it just HASN'T STOPPED RAINING in Brisbane for months!!! Everything that used to take minutes to dry is taking aaaaa-g-e-s!!!

FRUSTRATING!!!!!!!!!!!

No matter.
Just breathe, keep calm and carry on!!
Stiff upper lip and all that, what-what!

Back to the packing!!

Renew in 2011

Howdy to 2011

I, for one, am pleased that 2010 is o-v-e-r!!

To celebrate, here is the criteria for 123 Challenge for January :)
colour = PURPLE
word = BEAUTIFUL
technique = PUNCHES

I layered the art journal page with torn up purple tissue paper, coz the original colour was a bit dodgy

Have a closer looksy at the background...>>>

I squished some Modeling Paste through a Crafters Workshop stencil (but you could use any stencil) then painted/inked it. Came out too dull for my liking so will know better for next time!

and I don't own any punches, so used my trusty Cuttlebug and some awesome dies I had on hand

the crackle on the wings were created using Jo Sonja's Decor Crackle which I reckon is the b-o-m-b....

and chopped the butterfly's antennae to replace with some wire work and purple beads.

and the butterfly's crackle was created (thanks to Claudine Hellmuth) using canvas paper, Helmar Acid-Free glue (Claudine used Elmer's Glue-All) and acrylic paint....totally different effect, right?

DIVA-LICIOUS NEWS
January's issue of Scrapbook Creations will begin to feature us fabulous Design Divas, so I've popped links to how you can see the Divas' work in the side bar in anticippppppppppation.

in other breaking news......
We are moving house!!!!
FINALLY!
So, I will be a bit quiet here until next month.  And there won't be much other scrapping going on but I'll be packing my supplies up at the very LAST MOMENT....haha.

Add the move to the boys starting back at school, and Rainer at a new school, on 24th January....wweeeelllllll, should be interesting. Let's see if my nerves hold out.

Did I mention we are packing the wine fridge at the last moment as well??? *snort*

Oh and I turned forty-{cough} last week LOL. Celebrated Christmas with the out-laws in Cairns and somehow managed to avoid the massive floods and cyclones. It's a pretty special time of year for me to chill out, so no photos or details worth sharing. Just chilling out and relaxing and sleeping lots.

Hope you all had a wild one though.
xoxo
GiGi

oh the joys....

...the joys of Christmas!
Normally I don't get too excited about Christmas. Traditionally it's been a time of hard labour followed by the awesomeness of an extended holiday on the beach.
Now I'm a grown-up, married with children (yep, finally updated my FaceBook status ROTFL), and I'm trying to do things differently for my children...but it's not easy.
I dread having both the boys all day, every day; literally putting out fires and separating them, or freaking out so much that I do everything I can to avoid them interacting so as to avoid the inevitable stoush!!

This year it's differnt.
I decided to make these as thank you gifts. (You will need to subscribe to ClothPaperScissors magazine to find out how (I just renewed my sub!))

They will hang from some neighbours trees and they have been given to Rainer's dedicated ABA Therapists.

I'm a little excited too, because it's something I can do each and every year.

They're so much more fun than cards and look a whole lot better too.

My wire and beading work still needs attention, but gosh, it was just fun putting all the differnt combos together.

I look forward to next Christmas and my new November/December 2011 issue of CPS to discover what new decoration I can create and share.

And so it's Summer in Australia. In Brisbane we are really going to have a wet season...for the first time in a looong time. And it feels good.

Next year is going to be a huge year for change. There is a lot going on behind our daggy, half-painted lattice doors and I can't wait to share it all with you very soon.

And I've already chosen my "word" for 2011

RENEW

(well, that should give you a clue!!)
xoxo

Banner-ism

Last one for the year!!!

and that paper??? Kikki-K of course. It's the design on their Christmas shopping bag.

these Sass Lass alphas were the only ones in my stash with 3 "e"s left, phew!

and I simply love these really really old Rhonna Farrer rubons.

I've enjoyed completing Charmane's challenge for the monthly banners. There are some from 2010 that I don't like so they will get a face-lift for Christmas!!

Have some cute decorations on the production line....sooo exciting!!!

123 + else other

Your 123 Challenge for December is.....
colour >>> PINK
word >>> "oh"
technique >>> tissue paper

couldn't wait to get my Art Journal Junkie apron on!!

Also Charmane is looking for new members to create monthly goodness!!!!
woohooooooo
go HERE for full details

This layout was for Bon's Scraps CC Sketch challenge.

the old high school chums (lah-di-dah) back together again

and with the gorgeous Sarah for Bon's CC colour challenge

and Bon's monthly Write Now challenge

Sometimes you just have to NOT scrap your children LOL!!!
and I really need a December Banner......
back soon-ish!