ITS ALL ABOUT CLOCKS ~ FEB ARCHISCAPS CHALLENGE

Hello everyone, gosh the first month of the year gone already. I am actually starting my year from February as January was a bit of a write off.
So the new challenge at Archiscraps this month is all about clocks , and here is the image to inspire you.
The Sydney Post Office

and this is my take on the challenge

Time is a great Story Teller

I recently required this photo of my Great Grandmother on my Mothers side from my cousin. The photo was taken in 1920 and on the back it had her handwriting which I have added to the layout. She had sent the photo to her Son Patrick (my Mum's Dad) She was deaf I am told.

I thought I would add some close ups 
I used stamping, mists and texture paste

The large brass flower I received from Lizzy in a Pocket Letter

I have also added laces and thread and used mist on them

The writing that was on the photo that I have added to my layout and the dear little vintage clock is from Craftqueen

Thank you for calling by and I hope you join us this month with your take on clocks. The DT have some lovely inspiration for you , so please pop over to the blog and take a look and leave them some love.
Until next time, make sure to leave some
Love, Peace and Kindness in the world

Mary x

KRAFT PLUS CHALLENGE

Good Evening,

Over the last couple of days I have been prompted to join in the Current Kraft Plus Challenge which is to use Handwriting on your layout, plus Kraft of course 

and this is my take on the challenge

We always want our Mum

Mum always loved a game of cards, which when this photo was taken , she was playing cards, so hence the Queen of Hearts card on my layout. The flair which says Remember You is from StudioFourteen4o.
I also have quite a lot of journalling on the back , as it was too much to add to the front.
Basically what prompted me to do this layout was that yesterday I had day surgery to have three teeth out and a Cyst removed from my jaw. I do not have a very good track record with teeth and I am a bleeder. So the night before my surgery and when I woke up from Surgery I found myself wishing my Mum was here. ( she had dealt with quite a lot with me and dentists) I was hoping she was looking over me and things would go well. It also made me remember that she used to make me bite down on a piece of cotton wool with Friars Balson on it to make the bleeding clot (I will never forget the smell of that stuff) and would make me Junket to eat as it was soft. Gosh I haven't thought about junket for years ! 
So with all those memories coming back I felt I should document them, cause you know I would have forgotten about Junket, gosh I don't even know if it still exists.
Anyway if you are still with me, thank you for dropping by. I kinda use my blog as a journal as well, so sorry about the long story. Oh and Mum must be looking down , as I am doing fine.

Love, Peace and Kindness
Mary x

SOUL SCRAPPERS BIRTHDAY BASH

Hello !

I have just joined the DT at Soul Scrappers  and at the moment we are having a Birthday Bash which involves  over the course of this month the DT setting challenges for a different theme card . The challenges go well into next month , so you have plenty of time to join in and its a great way  get the mojo going. We also have lots of other challenges to inspire you.
Tonight I would like to share some of my cards I have been participating in with the challenges and also a layout for a challenge to use the word "Imagine" in anyway that it inspires you
First card challenge ~ to use balloons

next Die cuts ~ I am a big fan of die cuts, they make life so easy , these die cuts are from the Reject shop

Then Stamping, I was really pleased with this one, as I love buying stamps, but need to use them more . I brought this stamp ages ago , love it , but hadn't really used it. The camera die is from my friend Jo

Add a number to your card

There is also a Valentines day Card Challenge & here are mine

The gold heart and butterfly tag are also from Jo . I have good scrappy friends :)

the above  one I gave to my husband this week for our 37th wedding anniversary

Gosh this is a long post, if you are still with me you are doing well ..... Thank you !
I will finish with the layout for the "imagine" Challenge. I chose to do a layout of a photo I took in Budapest last year in the Jewish Quarter and I was inspired by the words from John Lennon's song "Imagine"

and I have just realized I have misspelled Budapest incorrect on my layout :(  will have to rectify that.

So thank you for calling by and I hope you come over to Soul Scrappers and join in the challenges.
Until next time

Love, Peace and Kindness
Mary x

LIVE IN THE SUNSHINE ~ CHALLENGE YOURSELF

Hello on this hot day in Australia. 
Today I would like to share a layout for Challenge Yourself This month anything goes , as long as you include yourself

Live in the Sunshine

Early January we had a few days on the coast with our Eldest Son Joseph , Belinda our daughter in law and our Grandchildren Amelia and Jedd. 

The weather was not great , but we still managed to have a really nice time. This photo was on our last night and there was a break in the weather so us girls went for a lovely walk on the beach. It is so nice to enjoy seeing the ocean , smelling the salt air when it is something we don't get to do very often .

I enjoyed creating this layout with water paints, stamping and Pan Pastels.

Thank you for calling by

Love, Peace and Kindness

Mary x

SIMPLY THE BEST ~ SOUL SCRAPPERS

Good Evening !
Well we have gone from being sooooo hot , and today I was thinking of putting the heater on ! (but I didn't) 
Anyway I would like to share a layout for one of the challenges over at Soul Scrappers ~ Soul Scrappers is a lovely community with lots of cool challenges to choose from to inspire , we would love you to join us .
Tonight I would like to share my layout for the challenge to use a TV advert quote. Well I decided to use the Tina Turner song they used for the Rugby League Add here in Australia and so naturally I had to do a layout of my husband (I haven't told or shown him yet, I don't want it to go to his head lol )

SIMPLY THE BEST

The photo was taken on the overnight Ferry to Denmark. He loved it and found it totally relaxing...... me .... I was just glad to get through it without getting sea sick (which I did ) 

I have added a tag with journaling in the little pocket that basically says that I feel very blessed to have shared the last 38 years with him and that he is the best husband and father that would do anything for his family.

The heart flair is from StudioFourteen40 . The round embellishment in the bottom left of the photo is a little hard to read says " You are my forever and ever " which I thought was nice.

So please pop over and join in some of the challenges at Soul Scrappers, there is bound to be something that takes your fancy and inspires you .

Love, Peace and Kindness

Mary x

SUMMER DAYS ~ ARTASTIC CHALLENGE

Hello,

The 15th of the month means it is time for the second reveal from the DT for the current challenge at ARTastic
A reminder of the challenge 
A summer theme and you can draw inspiration from this Painting ~Bondi Scene  by Isabelle May Tweedle ~ please pop over to ARTastic's blog to learn more about the artist and be inspired by the DT's interpretation

Summer Time

Living in the country I don't get to the beach much ,so this is what summer looks like for me , arriving to work to see the lucerne bailed and hot dry days.
I have used a page from my art journal that I put left over paints and mists on under my photo, a big red wooden  button from my Mum's button tin. Some old thread and a embossed chippy.
I hope you will join us in the challenge and I  will be looking forward to seeing what summer looks like to you where you live.
Love, Peace and Kindness
Mary x

REMEMBER ~ SKETCHY BOARDS CHALLENGE

Good evening, 
Tonight I would like to share my layout for the challenge over at Sketchy Boards
This is the sketch for inspiration

along with this  image 

and this is my take

Remember

I used a mask and texture paste for the clocks behind my photo and then added some mists. Some clock embellies and a pocket letter card made by Lizzy with the crochet flower on it. The black and gold ribbon is from Jo.
The photo is of my Mum back right hand corner with her sister in law (My Aunt Vera, whom was affectionately known as snow by Mum's brother )In the front from the left is Mum's sister Dorothy (my auntie Dot) with her son Barry, Gladys Spillane who lived across the road and is nursing Joan ( she is also Joan's Godmother ) Joan is my Auntie Dots daughter and on the end my Grandmother , Ma.
Thanks so much for calling by,

Love, Peace and Kindness
Mary x

THANKFUL ~ SOUL SCRAPPERS CHALLENGE

Good Morning !
This morning I would like to share a layout for the "Thankful" challenge over at Soul Scrappers where I have just joined the DT,  I hope you pop over and join the community here and join in with some of the fabulous challenges. 
The challenge I am joining in with is to do a layout about being Thankful. 
Criteria ~ Use hearts, a banner rub ons and ribbon on your layout 

Thankful 

I made my banner from material and stamped the word "Joy" on it. Happy Flair is from StudioFourteen40  as is the "All I want for Christmas is You" file cut and the Santa flair was a gift from Cheryl and I believe it is a Funky Studio flair. The Deer is from Craftqueen which I painted gold and added the satin seam binding also from Craftqueen as is the Christmas button. The sewn Love card is from Jo and the green pin is from Lizzy. 
Our Daughter in law was diagnosed with Breast Cancer early this year and after surgery and treatment she is doing really well. Our Christmas could have been so much different, so our family is very Thankful and enjoyed being together even more , it really makes you appreciate every moment.
Thank you for calling by and I do hope you pop over and check out Soul Scrappers

Love, Peace and Kindness 
Mary x

BLESSED ~ ARCHISCRAPS ~ WATER THEME

Hello ! Tonight I would like to share my first layout as part of the Archiscraps DT. I am a little late posting as we had a few days away . The theme is water 

This might be water colour paint, misting spritzes or any other wet medium.Mixed media people should enjoy this challenge.

Blessed

I have used mists and water paints with water and lots of stamping. This photo was taken in 2008 in Austria, I think I was sitting just taking in the sheer beauty . If you can see there is a mother duck and her ducklings .

I hope you can join in the challenge and in Australia being summer you may have lovely beach photo's to scrap or with all the rain maybe not ! but then you could scrap the rain :)

Please pop over and check out the DT inspiration and leave some love and see who the new members are :) and the lovely work of the GD

Looking forward to seeing your entries

Love, Peace and Kindness 

Mary x

Oh and the black border goes all the way around the layout, it was proving a pain to photograph unfortunately