Sail Away

Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you did not do than by the ones that you did. So, throw off the bow lines, sail away from the safe harbour, catch the trade winds in your sails. Mark Twain

Photo of a bright sunshine filled winter’s afternoon looking across Morton Bay to Stradbroke Island.

Bouquets

Happiness is the result of making a bouquet of those flowers within reach.

A couple more pages from the altered book with a garden theme. Thank you to everyone who has stopped to comment. It still does not have a name, got any suggestions? Some titles I am playing with include ………..

Spirit in the Garden
Beyond the Garden Gate
Friends in the Garden
Or
amis dans le jardin
(why do words seem more exotic in french) Prolix, feel free to correct my grammar

merci mon ami

There is no friend as loyal as a book. Ernest Hemingway

Thank you to my friend Audrey for this sweet little book and yummy chocolate she sent from France. Audrey’s blog Prolix links to her etsy & café press shops, well worth a look as she is most talented.

http://prolix.typepad.fr/le_petit_scraperon_jaune_/
Thank you Audrey you are most kind and mmm the chocolate is good !

Garden Friends

In friendships fragrant garden, there are flowers of every hue, each with it’s own fair beauty and its gift to you. Happy Birthday to Maureen, Rick and all my summertime friends.
This marks the beginning of new altered book. I think the title may change from Garden Secrets to Beyond The Garden Gate. Waiting to see how the last page turns out before we commit to changing the cover. Will post more over the coming weeks as pages come to life.

Sunrise

“We can only appreciate the miracle of a sunrise

If we have waited in the dark”

Photo: Rushforth Road Grafton

Moments

Women need real moments of solitude and self reflection to balance out how much of ourselves we give away. Barbara de Angelis

Happy Dance at my place, recently I was lucky enough to win a copy of Nic Howard’s new book “That’s Life” dedicated to finding inspiration in the every day moments. The book arrived today, full of eye candy of course, so many things to look at, great photos and more to consider. In particular Nic’s thoughts about those every day little moments that are precious and deserving of being documented & celebrated in your art journals.

Thank you Nic, will be sure to be posting some new inspired creations soon.

Friends

There is nothing on this earth more to be prized than true friendship. Saint Thomas Aquinas

Thank you to all my friends who have been cheering me on the last few weeks, the challenge was great but oh so worth it.

Song To Sing

“An Altered Book is when we take an old, unloved, discarded book and ‘alter’ with embellishments or additions to return it to that state of being special and unreplaceable.”

This is about the nicest thing I have ever heard about Altered Books or Mixed Media as it really captures what we are all about, recycling bits & pieces with our own personality to create something uniquely ‘you’.

There are lots of good instructional manuals on how to alter old recycled books for you too chose from. Many techniques used in Altered Books can easily be transferred to your scrapbooking pages, stamping, embossing, windows, pockets, collage and fold up flaps. Scrapbookers often use the similar process in creating Altered Books from newly purchased books or board books.

Links to where you can find out more about Altered Books include
www.alteredbookartists.com
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/alteredbooks/ This Yahoo group has 7,500 members around the world who contribute to a huge reference section and gallery. It is rated as an adult content site.
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ABAlteredBooks/ a smaller Yahoo group that hosts monthly challenges

"Live each day in harmony with all that surrounds you. "

Hope everyone is celebrating Live Earth and doing their bit for the environment. You know my favourite tip would be to recycle your books into altered books, this is a picture of one that I especially like.

That's Life

Nic Howard from NZ has released a book titled ‘That’s Life’
Check out her blog http://nichoward.blogspot.com/ or Amazon or BB

The Amazon description for the dayplanner styled book is “With its fresh, humorous approach to the seemingly mundane, That's Life offers scrapbookers insightful ways to depict their everyday lives through their art. ‘

Sounds like a great idea to me. We don’t always have to wait for a super spectacular event but celebrating the little everyday moments for the beauty and grace that they bring to our days.

Thanks Nic for sharing with us

Discovery

My business is not to remake myself, but to make the absolute best of what God made
Me !

Grandeur of Nature

In the grandeur of nature, our troubles are diminished.

Cleveland harbour looking towards North Stradbroke Island

Pearl Maple photo

Optimism

“I am optimistic globally. So many scientists are working frantically on the reparation of our planet.” Steve Irwin

Introducing Keach a gala that is under care & rehabilitation.

Along with the scientists there are lots of regular folks out there in our community who are doing their little bit to help the environment and the little animals who some times come off second best. This is a link to one of our native wildlife groups if you can make a contribution or to see more photos of animals in care. www.linknet.com.au/chrisy

Nature Preserved

Somerset Studio Readers' Expressions

My copy has not arrived but I have been told page 104 is showing Bird With Broken Wing.