Art Journal Saturday

So, here is my take on the prompt 'gift'; I feel like I could have gone on and on and on adding layers to this, and perhaps I should have! But I am happy with the thoughts, and the journaling underneath the paint :)

I didn't start the day well; I got dog wee on my slippers this morning and then my porridge exploded in the microwave! I was late getting DF to work, and when I arrived at work I knew I had some unpleasant times ahead of me :/

I have started telling my clients that I'm leaving my job :/ I am hoping to have told everyone by the end of the week. Finding it desperately sad; I am sure my work colleagues are trying to make me cry! Had the sweetest conversation with a co-worker today who told me that she had been looking for birthday cards and had decided to look for a leaving card for me - she said that she had looked at funny ones, and ones with a nice quote, and some with a nice picture, and suddenly she realised she was all teared up! I am very fond of her, she is an absolute sweetheart! but was so surprised that me leaving provoked such a response, I was so touched :)

Wishing you a good beginning to your week :)

Gayle xx

The auction is live!

The Scrappy Tree's Hearts for Haiti auction has gone live!

All the items have been either made by TST members or donated by other crafters and artists and are being auctioned on TST's eBay shop which is here, and you can read more about the auction at The Scrappy Tree by clicking here. It's for a great cause, which is to support Save The Children's Haiti Relief fund, so if you want to pick up something handmade for your sweetheart for Valentine's and donate at the same time, please give the auction a visit and see what bargains you can pick up :)

I made a few things for the auction myself, a few each of these grungeboard keychains using a free bird stamp which came with Craft Stamper magazine...
...and another free stamp which came with Papercraft Inspirations magazine...

(I love those free stamps, can you tell!)

I also decorated a wooden trinket box but I'm afraid this one won't get to leave the house! Mum spotted it and was happy to donate to Haiti :) I am lucky that my Mum likes my work at least ;) although I'm not sure if she could afford to keep me in business if I ever went full-time :-D

For the journallers (or anyone who would like to have a go!) I have also posted January's TST art journal prompt if you'd like to join us and play along, all welcome :) we'll be sharing our pages here so feel free to stop by :)

I am currently waiting for our completed contract for the wedding to be returned to us, along with the list of options we have to choose from; the deposit is paid, and we have signed on the dotted line :) I found it funny that it was quite a big thing for us to sign, and yet we did so sat on the bed in pyjamas just about to go to sleep! I still have my reindeer pj's from Christmas, and Df in his batman ones - you can just picture it can't you :)

Happy weekend all :)

Gayle xx

New Year's Resolutions tag book

So I already shared this over at The Scrappy Tree but as my productivity isn't all that good at the moment I decided to post it here too to prove I did something scrappy lately ;)

This is my New Year's resolution tag book - I bought Jessica's Sprague's hybrid class by the same name and really liked the idea :) I thought it would be starting the New Year well if I used up some patterned paper from my stash and made my own rather than printing out the templates; I kind of like how it turned out! I posted more pics and details of Jessica's class over on The Scrappy Tree for anyone that's interested :)

So I've noticed that we are onto the next holiday already - Valentine's is in the shops people! So are the Easter eggs but that's a bit early, even for me! ;)
Df and I don't always make a big fuss of Valentine's but I like that we do observe the day in some small way :) this year The Scrappy Tree will be doing a few things which will get me in the mood! The aim behind the projects will be to support Save The Children's Haiti Relief, so if you're looking for something handmade for Valentine's please consider giving The Scrappy Tree a visit over the next few weeks :) up for sale at the moment are these Paper Hearts for Hope candygrams, available in the US or UK for $7 including postage.

Click here for more details; the candygram will include a personalised message in a felt heart, Valentine lollies (or 'suckers' for my US friends) and a bookmark, all handmade by The Scrappy Tree team and to support a great cause. Order by 7th Feb for delivery by Valentine's!

We will have a few more events coming up, so watch this space ;)

Gayle

Visiting my own blog!

Is January a quiet month for everybody's blogs or just mine?? Apologies to everyone I haven't visited yet to find out, I am not starting this year with a massive amount of organisation but my enthusiasm is out there nonetheless :)



Currently some of the many items on my to-do list - a wedding to plan, a postgrad stats course to finish, 20 files to update and complete ready for an audit, numerous scrapping projects that should have been finished already, and also got some health stuff going on - sometimes it seems like a unending mountain of stuff! Too much to blog about properly, and maybe too much to talk about on a blog, but I guess what I'm telling myself is that this is my blog and if I want to write here then I can, no matter what it is that I want to say, or not.



Is it funny that I keep coming here to post and then don't know where to start, so I don't say anything?? Got to start somewhere :)



Well the contract for the wedding will go back this week (I made Df laugh when I said that I would take photos of us signing so that I could scrapbook them!) and as soon as that's done we are properly official :) I have tried a few things with the wedding invites and I think they are suitably fun and suitably us - I need to get those things out! I guess I'm not worrying too much about that until we have our deposit paid.

I guess I will have to get that whole dress thing underway soon - horrors! I have the shoes and I LOVE them :) Apparently I have a second cousin who makes jewellery and hair slides so if I can tell her what I want she may be able to make something original just for me - now I just have to figure out what I want! Choosing a dress would probably help, huh ;)

In the meantime I am pootling along doing my thing :) the diet is going well, the exercise not just yet! But perhaps by next month I won't be too averse to starting to sort that whole dress thing out ;) wish me luck!

Gayle xx

Exciting news!

Well, for me anyway! Finally after three years of waiting, df and I have confirmed with the venue and we have a wedding date! We will be getting married on Wednesday 7th September 2011 :) very excited! I am waiting now for the contracts to be exchanged and then we can start choosing the cake, the flowers, and finally I will have to face up to the big dread - the dress!! I don't know why but I really struggle with the idea of having to go to a dress shop and try on dresses; I don't even like going shopping for normal clothes! I guess as I get some of this weight off I will feel better about it (maybe? you think?). I am firmly back on my diet and feeling very motivated right now, the countdown is on! I found South Beach works really well for me when I stick to it, so I'm back with my old friend :) not yet back at the gym after Christmas and New Year because things are still really busy(!) but it'll come once things settle down - where does the time go?? I get up, go to work, come home, get things done... and it's time for bed again!

Well one small thing I have managed this year is this birthday card for a friend - she makes the most beautiful projects herself so it's sometimes intimidating to think what to make for her, but I hope she liked this :) she hates the winter and her birthday so it needed to be bright and cheery!

I have made a draft wedding invitation now that I know the date, but it needs a little more work (and a little more crafty shopping!) before it's done - I was lucky enough to have a Cricut for Christmas so had to have a little play with that :)

Don't forget to call in The Scrappy Tree community this week, there are LOTS of new challenges and groups starting up over there and a little something for everybody I think :) this weekend begins the Fuzzy Friends challenge to support an animal charity so take a look around :)

Happy weekend! Gayle xx