Sunshine & Shadows

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"Keep your face to the sunshine and you can not see the shadows" Helen Keller
Been a big week around here, shadows, floods, wild wind storms and touches of sunshine.  Click the link to Sky Watch Friday to see what bloggers from all over have found in their sky to share with us this week.

I was lucky to be gifted a membership for Ali Edwards OneLittle Word Workshops for 2013. The theme is built around the idea of having one word as your goal for the year and working on different ways to explore and embrace your ‘word’.  This year I chose ZEN, a blissful sunshine afternoon would not go astray, but mostly for me it is about finding a place to be centred and balanced in between the situations we find ourselves in and where we might like to be, or making the best of it. Whatever else it will be an adventure.

Sunrise

It is always sunrise somewhere; the dew is never dried all at once;

a shower is forever falling; vapour is ever rising.

Eternal sunrise, eternal dawn and glowing,

on sea and continents and islands,

each in its turn, as the round earth rolls. John Muir

Welcome 2013, happy New Year and happy Sky Watch Friday, always an adventure, you never know what is over the horizon or around the corner.  Click the link to see what fans of Sky Watch Friday have found in their skies this week.

My shadow box project packed full with pretty details that was on display in the Maya Road booth at CHA. Maya Road has become a favorite source for all kinds of delightful little trims.

Dreams do come true

"All our dreams can come true, if we have the courage to pursue them." Walt Disney

click to enlarge a dazzling colorful sunrise

Having a fabulous time catching up with friends in sunny southern California and getting ready for a big week with the CHA Craft and Hobby Association event. Early mornings in southern California bring crisp cool starts and amazing colorful sunrises. Click the link to Sky Watch Friday to see what other bloggers from all over have found in their skies to share. 

One of my mail art creations using Crate Paper's new 14 collection, with a pretty candy color party theme.

Merry Christmas

"Christmas is not a date. It is a state of mind. " Mary Ellen Chase

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Merry Christmas to all my blogging friends and a family scattered all over the world.   Click the link to Sky Watch Friday and see what bloggers from all over the world are finding in their holiday skies to share this week.  I will be travelling, catching up with friends and family, spending time in the snow and sand. Drop us a line or leave a link to share what you are up to over the holidays. Wishing you all the happiest of times and for everyone travelling, hope your trip is as fun as this little clip.

And in the spirit of keeping it international here is a link to a fun new blog about life down under.  

White Christmas

"Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn't before.
What if Christmas, he thought, doesn't come from a store.
What if Christmas, perhaps, means a little bit more? "Dr. Seuss

click to enlarge a white Christmas on the beach 

Happy Sky Watch Friday! Click the link to see what bloggers from all over have found in their sky to share this week. Over the next few weeks I will be travelling, white sandy beaches to white fields of snow. Looking forward to catching up with family and blogging friends soon.  

This one is for my dad a great lover of music and singing when the mood strikes. For those who prefer a touch of green at Christmas a sneak peek into one of my workshops at My Creative Classroom. 

Not much time left to enter the mega Spellbinders competition. Love that they opened the comp to all kinds of crafters, mixed media card makers and more.

 

Under the Gum Tree

"In the right light at the right time, everything is extraordinary" Aaron rose film director

click to enlarge the down under version of a white christmas

Sparking white gum trees create such a pretty frame for the bright blue skies this time of year. Click the link for Sky Watch Friday to see what other bloggers from all over the world have found in their view of the sky. 

A peek into the culture down under.

Gratitude

"Develop an attitude of gratitude, and give thanks for everything that happens to you, knowing that every step forward is a step toward achieving something bigger and better than your current situation." Brian Tracy

click to enlarge the Myles Standish monument

Happy Thanksgiving to all my friends and family in New England and Happy Sky Watch Friday too.  Click the links to see what other Sky Watch fans have found in their sky to share this week or how about Plimouth Plantation to see how they celebrate the holiday.

Counting down the days and grateful for, old music in new ways, art of all kinds in public places and people who make our world a nicer place to be.   One of my workshops in the My Creative Classroom is on shadowboxes, a nice way of displaying the little things that mean something. This is one of the Collections Elements kits.

 

Whatevers is a new challenge site hosted by 3 creative friends Cat Scanlon, Vicki Chrisman, Nat Kalbach, to celebrate found photos and the stories that could be told.

Found photos are often for sale at jumble stalls and antique centres. Do you ever wonder, who are these people and what is their story?   Their story might have been lost but the images are rich with details of fashion or landscapes that have changed and vintage travel.

 

The Whatever theme reminded me of Nick Bantock’s mail art books where the characters wrote to each other in decorated correspondence and inspired me to create a journal for Charles and Chelsea. With their families moving away the two young friends are documenting adventures in their journals and letters to each other......

Waving hello from the tropical paradise of Bermuda, fresh off my first flight in an airplane

What an amazing experience to see the world from high above in the clouds, it is a truly beautiful place. That sensation of being free like a bird to ride the wind was exciting, I can’t wait to do fly again soon.  To think long overland journeys can now be replaced with a adventure in the air, makes me want to sprout wings and travel all the more soon.



Beautiful Little Things

click to enlarge a quiet morning sunrise

"When you do something noble and beautiful and nobody notices, don't be sad. For the sun every morning is a beautiful spectacle and yet most of the audience still sleeps." John Lennon
Click the link to Sky Watch Friday to see what 100s of bloggers from all over have found on their horizon to share this week.
Counting down the days to my favorite holiday Thanksgiving, a great time to be reminded of all the little things that make our day, like nature putting on these pretty shows for free.

A peek into a Maya Road shadow box that is part of my workshop on My Creative Classroom, fun and creative ways to display your favorite collections.

The Little Things

click to enlarge the purple jacaranda

"Do your little bit of good where you are; it’s those little bits of good put together that overwhelm the world." Desmond Tutu

I liked this quote, it tumbled around for the last few days and seemed to fit well with the jacaranda's coming into flower. First you see the odd pop of purple but in no time at all the whole tree starts to burst out in spring colours.  Happy Sky Watch Friday my friends, click the link to see what 100s of bloggers from all over have found in their sky to share with us this week.

Whatevers is a new challenge site hosted by 3 creative friends Cat Scanlon, Vicki Chrisman, Nat Kalbach, to celebrate found photos and the stories that could be told.

Found photos are often for sale at jumble stalls and antique centres. Do you ever wonder, who are these people and what is their story?   Sadly their story is lost but the images are rich with details of fashion or landscapes that have changed and vintage automobiles.

The Whatever theme reminded me of Nick Bantock’s mail art books where the characters wrote to each other in decorated correspondence and inspired me to create a journal for Charles and Chelsea. With their families moving away the two young friends are documenting adventures in their journals and letters to each other......

Mirambeena from Melbourne, the city of trams

The journey to Australia is a long one my friend but what an adventure! I have spent some time in the remote communities to meet the local indigenous artists.  So many fascinating styles and stories and things to learn about this environment. Montsalvat is a new artist community that is being built outside of the city of Melbourne. Lots of fascinating people are pitching in to set aside a beautiful space for artists to learn in a beautiful setting with a real sense of community. ding,ding must run to catch the tram!

 

p.s. thank you to the lovely folks at Collections Elements for their kind sponsorship of chipoard and tissue papers.  

 

"Happiness is a state of mind, it's just according to the way you look at things” Walt Disney

Photography and Sky Watching has become a great exercise in focusing the view finder, finding interesting skys in random moments.  Happy Sky Watch Friday, click the link to see what hundreds of bloggers from all over have found in their sky to share this week.