Sugar & Spice

This is my page done for the October Sketch challenge hosted by Once Upon a Sketch...Our journalling theme this month is "The Woman/Girl in our Lives". Therefore I scrapped these photos of the two most important and gorgeous girls in my life...my two Daughters!

As the title suggests, they truly are Sugar and Spice..two very different personalities, I won't say who is which though...lol...I just hope they both realise how important they are to me, and how terribly proud I am of both of them...Oh yes, they both have their difficulties and can be full of nonsense, but I have never had to be ashamed of them and can only say, I am Proud to be your Mother!!! 

I have used papers from the Prima Songbird collection, a Pima 12x12 stencil, Resin embellishments and various Prima flowers!

I punched and layered several strips of paper to mimic the notepad design on the paper.

The stencilling was done with Translucent Paste and Stampendous Aged Ivory Embossing Enamel. I added colour to the page using Steampunk Sepia Magicals and Pegleg Pete's Purple Moonshadow Mist, both from Lindy's Stampgang.

Some hand stitching with a few added Pearl Beads. They were white and I coloured them with a few drops of Alcohol Ink.

(I flipped the sketch and used two photos instead of one)

Thank you for your visit, leaving you with these words that I am very sure runs true in many households....

Sisters annoy,  

interfere, 

criticize.

 Indulge in monumental sulks,

 in huffs,

 in snide remarks. 

Borrow.

 Break. 

Monopolize the bathroom. 

Are always underfoot. 

But if catastrophe should strike,

 sisters are there.

 Defending you against all comers. 

~Pam Brown~

32 Years Together....July sketch for OUAS...

Today I am sharing my DT page for the July sketch challenge from Once Upon A Sketch...Our journalling theme this month is 'Numbers".

I chose a wedding photo of me and Georg, we will be married 32 years this coming Sepember.

I used papers from Blue Fern Studio called Blue Fern Garden, In Bloom and Signature. It is my first time working with the paper and am really loving it and wish it was available here in South Africa! My chipboard is my ever popular Dusty Attic and the flower is from the new Petaloo range of Burlap flowers...

Seeing as the theme is Numbers, I used the Measured Stencil from Ranger with some Broken China Distress Ink on the background and did the masking with the Mini Bingo mask from The Crafteres Workshop using Studio 490 translucent embossing paste with Oakleaf Olive embossing Powder from Lindy's Stampgang.

My clock-face was inked a little and randomly embossed with a little clear UTEE.

I first coated the chipboard with gesso and after drying inked with several green Distress Inks.

After painting the frame I embossed with Reindeer Moss Green, also from Lindy's.

Thank you for your visit...

A wedding anniversary is the celebration of love, 

trust, partnership, tolerance and tenacity.  

The order varies for any given year.  

~Paul Sweeney~

Family - May Once upon A...Sketch

I have been absent from my Blog for a while...apologies therefore, but am back now to share some of my latest pages with you all!

First up is this page created for the May challenge at Once upon A...Sketch. I had it created in time, but with all the happenings I did not get to posting it on the challenge site.

Our journalling theme this month is 'Anything goes' 

This photo is one of the rare ones of my Mother's family taken in early 1944. I used papers from Jodie Lee's Princess Collection Kit from Prima for this page. This is such a beautiful range, being a little Girly Grunge and Shabby Chic all in one.

My clock-hand was inked and embossed with a little random UTEE

Some Prima flowers and a new resin Oval Frame.

I did some stamping using a Script and Diamond stamp, also from Prima.

As I said, this photo was taken early in 1944, In the back row is my Onkel Heinz, Grandmother Maria, Grandfather Wilhelm, Tante Trude. Then the twins, Onkel Willi and Tante Wilhelmine. The little sweety in front is my Mother Mariliese. My hidden journalling is about the following obituary...

" Im jugendichen Alter von 10 jahren wurde Wilhelmine Beuel auf Gut Neuenhof bei Nideggen am 12 Dezember 1944 ein Opfer des Krieges."

As this was World War 2, my GP farm was commanded by German soldiers. My mother often tells us tales of the time she grew up with the sound of sirens and bomber planes flying overhead...a soldier was allocated to each child to make sure they made it to the bunkers in time whenever the sirens were sound. On this fateful day, after another bomb attack, Wilhelmine aged 10, went out after the all clear was given,but a young German soldier, merely a child himself, lying in the trenches, lost his head in the madness and shot and killed her. My mother used to tell us that when my Grand father got the news of her death, his hair turned white overnight from the shock. 

To create this beautiful texture on the 2 Crafty Chipboard, I dabbed a thick layer of Bundled Sage Distress Paint on the leaves and stems, and Victorian Velvet on the flowers and gave it a close blast with my heatgun in order for the paint to bubble. I also painted some Lindy's Stampgang Ghostly Gargoyle White onto it for a little shimmer.

Loving the new Prima Doily Stickers.

Another piece of 2 Crafty Chipboard and a Prima Clock hand.

~~~~

There is still time enough to create a page using the gorgeous sketch by Nadia Cannizzo and enter the 'Anything goes' theme...

Thank you for your visit...

~~~

If people want to make war they should make a color war,

 and paint each others' cities up in the night in pinks and greens.

 ~ Yoko Ono ~

Remember 2 Live your Dream ... March sketch - OUAS

Good morning friends on this Monday morning...The start of yet another week and soon another month! Autumn is slowly creeping up on us here in South Africa and I can't tell you how much I love the crisp feeling and colour changes it brings! I must admit that these past few weeks have seen me going through a bit of a Scrapping dip...I was finding it difficult to design and have just been doing the bare necessity's that had to be done...even Blogging has been taking a back seat! Therefore, be prepared for a bit of post overload, for I am going to try and get up to date as soon as possible...lol!

Apology's to OUAS...this challenge ends in 3 hours, enough time for some super fast Scrappers to still get an entry in!!! Although I battled to get the creative juices flowing, this one did turn out as I wanted and I even enjoyed doing it...The DT and especially the entries that we are getting on our challenges are just awe inspiring and so talented. Please take time to visit the Once Upon A...Sketch blog and enjoy the creativeness.

Our journalling theme this month was as follows...
You only live once, 
but if you do it right
Once is Enough

I chose to scrap my three children and have written a personal message to each of them on a Tag on the back. They each have their own weaknesses and also strengths, and my wish for them is to realise how special they are in their own unique way and to live life at it's fullest.

I did some mixed media work on the background, layering strips of papers, builders tape and Washi Tapes, just to cover some of it with Gesso and various inks and mists. Also did some stamping and masking with black Embossing paste.

The Elegant Flourish from Dusty Attic was embossed with Distress Embossing Powder; Dried Marigold and Tattered Rose. The inside got some Crackle Paint.

This border was created by covering a piece of card stock with some foil, coloured it with Alcohol Inks; Denim, Slate and Sunset Orange and Die cut it with the Washer Border Die from Tim Holtz.

I used 13arts Mist; Yellow Amber and Lindy's Down the Rabbit Hole for colour. The masking is done with Studio 490 black Embossing Paste and The Crafters Workshop's mini Ledger mask. 

The Taps are from Prima's Junkyard Findings.  I even used the inside confetti from the Die as added elements.

Every now and then,

when the world sits just right,

a gentle breath of heaven

fills my soul with delight...

~Hazelmarie ‘Mattie’ Elliott~

~~~ Accept ~~~ OUAS / Jan 2014

And so the day finally arrived were I can reveal my very first page designed for Once Upon A...Sketch! Being in group B means that our reveal will be on the 15th of each month...how great is that, two Groups of designers, twice the fun and excitement of  project reveals!!! Take note as well that the entry date for challenges has been moved to the end of each month...giving you a few more days to create and enter, and with all the Marvellous sponsored prizes up for grabs, who would not want to enter? Also remember to post your works on the Facebook page, there you will stand a random change of winning a price pack of paints generously sponsored by 13@rts...

On to my take on the sketch by Nadia Cannizzo.

Journalling Theme: "Lesson learnt..." 

You are free to interpret our theme ANY WAY you like. It is for your inspiration and this theme word DOES NOT need to be part of your title or journalling. But please make sure your layout is based on the sketch below and includes journalling (hidden journalling is fine). Acceptable journalling is MORE than just a sentence, or generic writing such as date/place etc. It needs to be present and at least 3 lines long. Remember, hidden journalling (under a photo/tag or behind your page) is perfectly fine but please DO let us know in your post where your journalling is! 

 ~~~ Accept~~~

I turned the sketch on it's side. I used various Prima papers to create some layers and as matting for my photos.

Used a Prima Lace and Pearl Bling accent, two of the Prima Bark Butterfly embellishments and some chipboard. The canvas letters got a swipe with Distress Paint on the edges.

On the back of this tag is my journalling to myself...

" My word for this year is Acceptance... Besides the obvious accepting what I can not change, I also need to accept that not everybody likes me or understands me...The lesson in life that I have learned is knowing that I am sometimes seen as aloof and maybe a little snobbish, but that is far from who I am. I accept myself as being a bit of a loner and not doing great in company... I am not the one with words of wisdom, I am the listener and shoulder to cry on, the one to whom you can tell your hurts and sorrows and know that they will be save with me. Being hurt by friends in the past, I am going to let them go and concentrate on the ones that accept me as I am..."

I prefer to be true to myself,
 even at the hazard of incurring the ridicule of others,
 rather than to be false,
and to incur my own abhorrence.  
~Frederick Douglass~

31

Once upon a Sketch September challenge

Hello Blog friends...This is my take on the challenge...The theme for this month is " Lucky" and that is precisely what I am - Lucky to have met this man and be married to him for 31 years this past week! Was it always easy? No ways...many were the days that I felt like packing my bags and leave him, and I am certain he would have gladly helped me pack those bags and send me on my merry ways,  but we stuck it out with each other. I did and sometimes still battle to accept that George is some one who does things and not an emotional, being in touch with my feelings kind of guy, making it difficult at times for this sentimental Pisces girl! I just need to ask, and my handy man Husband will deliver, I also know he will go to the end of the world for me and although he does not say so I know that he loves me...his never complaining about my scrapping budget is a big indicator of that...!

This photo was one of many taken for our wedding invitations...

For this challenge I used the following Prima Papers: Almanac Collection, Wordsmith

                                                                              Tea-Thyme Collction, Marcella

                                                                                             Engraver Collection, Arcade, Calligraphy

I did rotate the sketch...

I wrote this sentiment on the back of my page...

One advantage of marriage is that,

 when you fall out of love with him 

or he falls out of love with you,

 it keeps you together until you fall in love again. 

 ~Judith Viorst~

I will never Forget...

Good evening Blog friends...

Today's post is going to be a short one just explaining some of what I did on this LO ... The reason is that today I can feel the pain of Fibromyalgia creeping up good and solid again...Won't bore you with it, sufficient to say that shoulders, arms and hands are hurting, and mind not working...lol!

These photos are of Michelle end of 2005 after achieving her National colours in Dancing resulting in our trip to New York where she competed in several dance items. What makes her achievements even more worth while is the fact that she at the age of 15 choreographed her own dances and designed her costumes...I just had the honour of doing the sequence work on them...and this is the journal point of this LO...

"I will never forget...the hours spend working on thousand of sequences and mini beads onto your costumes! I so enjoyed sitting at rehearsals with my containers full of beads and sequences, watching you and your fellow dances perfecting routines... What I did not enjoy, was when those containers fell from my lap and we had to scavenge the floors picking up beads...I can still see me and the other Mums and kiddies hunting the floors for beads...such good memories! Thank you for giving me the opportunity to do all your costumes for you..."

I used some Imaginarium Design chipboard elements, Mirrored Bracket Frame and Clock and Compass. They were inked with  Distress Embossing Ink and dusted with several colours of Perfect Pearls.

I added a flower and some Crystals from Zva Creative.

I did some distressing of my papers with several punches and added some fibres to the LO.

This is the sketch for August...

Till a next time

Keep well

Patricia....