Living your life

"The purpose of life is to live it, to taste, experience to the utmost, to reach out eagerly and without fear for newer and richer experiences."Eleanor Roosevelt

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Photos out the plane window can be tricky but oh so much fun with the sights that you might see. Boston harbour turned on a lovely view of a 'tall ship' cruising out into the bay.  Click the link for Sky Watch Friday to see what 100s of bloggers from all over are sharing 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.  Sadly their story is lost but the images are rich with details of fashion or landscapes that have changed and vintage automobiles.  Do you ever wonder, who are these people and what is their story? 
 
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......

Dearest Charles

Sailing into the spice island of Grenada is a beautiful experience, greeted by all kinds of bright squawking birds, the water is sparking blue and a little breeze to keep the humidity from becoming too stifling.  Mother and father are busy setting up house in a pretty bungalow on the shore.  I have been out exploring, collecting specimens from the beach and gardens that I thought you would like.

 Parts of the region are very French, we have cafe’ au lait for breakfast and croissants but afternoon tea is distinctly British with tiny tea sandwiches.  Tomorrow I am expected to start school with the other expats and mother took this photo of us all together to celebrate.  So for now.... au revior my friend can’t wait to share more news from the other end of the world.

That is my start with the Whatever’s and a reminder on why we scrapbook or journal the stories behind the photos.  Click the links ~ join the fun ~ and remember to tell your story.

Good Morning

click to enlarge a beautiful morning on cape cod

"Life is an opportunity, seize it" Mother Teresa

A walk on the beach can be an adventure, and as they say in Australia, you never know if you never go!  Never know what is around the corner or over the horizon, hopefully all good news for a change. Click the link Sky Watch Friday to see what bloggers from all over have found on their horizon to share with us.

Nothing says 'good morning' like happy mail, a sneak peek into my new workshop at My Creative Classroom on Mail Art, creatively recycling mail that is sure to brighten up any one's mail box.

Pursuit of Happiness

click to enlarge a busy sunset sky

"Some pursue happiness - others create it." Ralph Waldo Emerson

Pretty much sums up this sunset that got really busy, there were paragliders and birds all competing for the last breezes of the day.  For me any day on the beach is a happy day.
Click the link to Sky Watch Friday to see what other bloggers how found in their view of the sky to share this week.

 

Congratulations to Susan Brown on her 5 year blog anniversary, we are celebrating with a altered spoon project. 

This was a fun project, had the most amazing discovery after starting the golden honey with metallic ink and topcoating with Tattered Angels Rockin on Sunshine Glam, the paint lifted the metallic in the ink and it was a pool of glittering goodness swirling about.

Click the link to Susan's linky party for lots more fun spoon creations. I'd appreciate your votes :)

Think that bee theme inspired me for the weekend, sneak peek at our projects for the upcoming Mail Art workshop on My Creative Classroom.

Following the Sun

click to enlarge the view from the lighthouse

"Turn your face to the sun and the shadows fall behind you." Maori Proverb

A fitting quote for the view from inside the lighthouse, with all those reflective mirrors it is very bright in there.   Click the link to Sky Watch Friday to see what 110s of bloggers from all over have found in their sky to share this week.

Working on a new project................mail art and travel and journals = all my favs.

Where to Begin

click to elarge a pretty blue sky

‎"Remember today... for it is the beginning of always." Dante

I love a good day at the beach and walking this long flight of stairs up the look out.  Click the link to Sky Watch Friday to see what hundreds of bloggers from all over have found in their sky to share this week.

One of the art journals from our recent adventures, love old postage stamps and birds flying free.

Travelling

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“Believe you can, and you are half way there” Theodore Roosevelt

Will be travelling for the next few weeks and checking in from all over. For now I am sharing a photo for Sky Watch Friday fans, click the link to see what other bloggers have found in their view of the sky.  Am working on some cool new creations for CHA galleries that I can’t wait to share soon.  

Always exciting to be asked to create for a manufacturer's gallery. That is my canvas in the middle, bright yellows and reds, maple leaves and autumn theme with lots of 7 Gypsies accents.

And and art journal for the road trip using Imaginarium chipboard.

Beautiful Spectacles

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"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 But fans of sky watching and nature do take the time to notice and share.  Click the link to Sky Watch Friday to follow what hundreds of bloggers from all over have found on their horizon.

Tim Holtz June tag project, lots of inking and misting and distressing

Whatevers – 1

Found photos of weddings, babies, or young people going off to war are often for sale at jumble stalls and antique centres.  Rich with details of fashion or landscapes that have changed and vintage automobiles, but sadly with no voice to tell their stories.  Do you ever wonder, who are these people and what is their story? 

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.

My creation is Charles and Chelsea

Techniques: versamark stamping, over sprayed with stencils, more stamping, crackle paints and collage

Products: 

Luminarte Radiant Rain  Key Lime & Sunburst
Creative Imaginations ATCs

ScrapMatrix Window Frame
Helmar Crackle Medium
Prima forest leaves stencil

Their Story:

Childhood friends Charles and Chelsea grew up on the outskirts of a university town.  Their parents were professors and lecturers leading an exciting life, their home often hosted interesting afternoon teas full of debates about music or environmentalism but when the conversation lead to existentialism that was the clue for Charles and Chelsea to go out to play. 

Their playground was the fields and streams and bushland that surrounded their town, just perfect for budding environmentalists to explore, charting wildlife, flowers and flying insects.  But seasons change and so do lives, their parent’s contracts were up and new adventures beckoned. Places like Indo-China, Tibet, the jungles of Africa or the Amazon sounded so far away and very different from their quiet town with fields of buttercups but losing your best friend was too much to bear.

Tickets and goodbye afternoon teas were booked as that departure date loomed. Charles and Chelsea had to work hard at sitting still for the endless rounds of photographs in their Sunday best outfits and laughed the idea that they would become miniature cardboard cut outs posted on the mantel of friends houses.

Like all good friends, a pinky promise was made to stay pals forever, to document in creative journals their separate travels and write letters as often as they could so that it would become an adventure shared. 

That is my start with the Whatever’s and a reminder on why we scrapbook or journal the stories behind the photos.  Click the links ~ join the fun ~ and remember to tell your story.

Songs of nature

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"Every heart sings a song, incomplete, until another heart whispers back."  Plato and a perfect quote for photos of nature. Always so much to see and appreciate and all the sweeter when wildlife drops in to share the moment. Click the link to Sky Watch Friday to see what other bloggers from all over have found in their view of the sky to share this week.

Designing & Creating

"You can design and create, and build the most wonderful place in the world. But it takes people to make the dream a reality."  Walt Disney   

Love a wild and open beach for a nice long walk but somethings are more fun shared.  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.

Am super excited to share the news I have joined My Creative Classroom and hosting on line workshop for all kinds of new projects. This semester is shadow boxes with lots of techniques for backgrounds and construction tips.  Looking forward to lots of fun creative adventures and developing more workshops soon.