A recent layout inspired by tim holtz and rhonna farrer. The live title image is one from the 21 day challenge by rhonna and painted with H2O's - then some glitter glue added. The mask is tim holtz and sprayed with 'glimmer mist'. The light blue map cardstock is the backing used from a sheet of K&Company stickers. A quick and easy layout!

I will be able to recognise my work during which I had no eye sight in my left eye....can you see how skew the left side of the layout is? Oh well - that's life and thats OK.
PS if you are going to copy it please credit it! Have a wonderful week!

The smell may be long gone but the memory and (blurry) images will still remain! Beulah (one of my students) from Sweet Scrappins gave me these roses from her garden. They sure were a sight...and the smell!

It reminded me of the good old saying: ...stop and smell the roses! This week's events lead to this post. After dealing with some 'stuff' it ended on my mom breaking her toe while cleaning the flat to look after a friend who had a heart by-pass...good fun! While at the doctor with mom I asked him about my eye - he said that it is still "skew" and that it is really sensitive for light and something is not functioning right. Anyhow he said that is can take up to 9-12months before everything is back to normal. It only confirmed what I suspected - my left eye has been "lazy", skew and very sensitive - frequent tearing up and some blurry vision in bright light. So I guess stressing is out of order.
I am hoping to get back to my normal work schedule soon and post more projects that are piling up in the photo shoot bin! Have a good weekend everyone!

Debbie from our RSA (Rubberstamping South Africa) group recently hosted a Luscious Lime ATC swap. These are my two cards. The first is an image from Crafty Indivisuals stamped with green Pallette ink onto glossy white cardstock. The strip along the edge is done with glitter.

It’s the little things in life that make a difference. Every year with our Card making Retreat I realize again how precious friendships and life in general are. Every year for the past five years Tarryn and her Gran Shirley attend our camp. Every year I am amazed at their special bond and relationship and every year I go home thinking how much more I could have done for my grandparents and how much more I should have and could have appreciated them. If only I took gran for one more cup of tea or did something small for her instead of being afraid of what people would think. Every year with camp we have mother and daughters attending and you see the special bond they have and every time I think the same thing….
Every year I take camp for granted – getting home tired and having to unpack and repack and organize everything you used for your class. Then I think back on how appreciative the ladies are for everything they receive. Nothing is expected so every little thing that they receive is welcomed with open arms instead of resentment as to the amount of the actual gift. So a special thank you goes out to all our sponsors and those who gave gifts like Absolutely Scraptacular, Paper Crazy, Paper Enterprises, Scrapbook Direct, Scrap Sheets, Sogno Mio, Sunday Tribune, Glitter Factory, Carrots Crafts, Country Crafts, Great Impressions, Stamps Galore, Studio J and University of KwaZulu Natal.

Then our last minute sponsor who so generously and freely gave Scrapbookex! Thanks Glenda for all the marvelous things you gave away. The ladies all went home with a stunning Kaisercraft bag filled with STUFF!! Your generosity is much appreciated and that at the very last minute! Literally! Our annual card making competition at the camp went down really well with the winners who received stunning prizes. Well done Amanda de Jonge for winning…and that after last years’ fourth place – just goes to show how much you have improved your skills! To all the other ladies who attended and made camp a huge success – you know who you are – thanks a bunch! It seems like our humble little camp is getting status all around the country and growing with interest and stature each here! Well the same camp site has been booked for 2010…what was Carol thinking? Anyhow…see you all next year!

In light of the recent post and comments on my blog I would like to clarify a few matters. It seems that people are under the impression that I was not treated the same as all the other teachers (internationals). In light of my post “What I have learned” I would like to clarify – the things that I have learned have in no way any implication towards Glenda, Scrapbookex or any of the helpers and volunteers. The things I have learned are based on my experiences of life in general. If you know me at all, and if you have read many of my comments on my blog then you will know that I often have days and moments where life and people just doesn’t make sense and I being myself voice my feelings. I feel ripped off by the high costs of internet in SA (one of the highest in the world) – but this doesn’t mean that I am pointing a finger at any of the service providers in the country…it simply means that I feel someone should be doing something about it and that it is not fair!

So to get back to the convention….From the word go, Glenda treated me as she treated all of the other teachers. I won’t refer to them as internationals because in my eyes they were my fellow teachers and just as down to earth and honored as myself to be there. To have been asked to teach at such an event that is rated as one of the best in the world is a great honour. I can honestly say that the lot of us – Melissa (OZ), Tracie (UK), Tami (USA), Cathie & Carol (Canada), Mike (USA), Laura & Erin (USA) and I were such a fun bunch. I pride myself in being a very Religious person as were all of them – realising that God has opened a door, an opportunity for all of us. We spent a lot of time together, made friendships for life and shared personal experiences with each other – we laughed and cried. I met some really special people that became friends! And I don’t take my friendships lightly at all!

So in light of all that has been said about me not being treated fairly – here is my answer: I was given a wonderful opportunity and have been truly blessed by the experience. Because I taught the KI Memories class and the KI Memories products were sponsored by them and the other was sponsored by the convention, the same deal did not apply to me as would to all the other teachers who represented their companies. I knew this from the start and everything about it was discussed and the decisions made were agreed upon by both of us. I chose not to go to Kichaka. I chose to spend the Monday and Tuesday at home catching up on some work, because I had other commitments. I chose to travel to Cape Town a day earlier and spend it with my brother and his family and then meet up with Glenda and the teachers for the day trip on the Thursday. I chose the day trip in the hopes of going up Table Mountain – so it didn’t happen but neither did it happen the previous times I happen to be in Cape Town. And that’s OK! I had a wonderful Convention and teaching experience and made a whole bunch of new friends, got some new customers who are attending my regular classes and got some wonderful comments from people in the industry whom I look up to. Glenda and all the other teachers are most generous individuals whether it be with their knowledge, creativity, friendship and products! We as South Africans can be proud of the event that is put together by Glenda, Gary and their team.

I now consider this matter closed and will post more wonderful pictures of our day trip as well as the convention!

PS. Between the lot of us there were close to 12 000 photos taken in a matter of days, and it will take some time to filter through all of them. We all shared the photos that we took which was such a nice gesture! Thanks again for a wonderful time guys and girls!! Miss you all stacks!