Life, the universe and everything

Well, we were shuffling along okay, then Sunday my sister bent her big toe at such a bad angle while falling in a freak accident...
Um, the bone popped out of her foot and split the skin. Apparently you could see the bone sticking out through the split skin. Shudder. Yes, it's extremely painful and so, no work, ongoing hospital visits, etc while doctors work out what to do with it. She's back to the hospital AGAIN today.
This is where having family or friends come in really handy because she can't lift the baby (all 12kg of her) or anything with those crutches and being basically unable to walk. Her hubby has taken time off work too, but this isn't going to be quick.
Events like this reinforce my belief in the power of caring for others -whether they are blood family or the one you have created for yourself from friends. Having someone you can talk to or that can give you a hand when needed is an essential need.
So do I have a point? Sorta...
If I look for the little things that make me happy, having friends and family that care about me and that I care for right back, is right at the top of my list. Thank you loved ones. You make my life rich.
I won't be taking photos of Bin's toe. I'm too much of a wimp. Won't scrap it. I will and DO scrap layouts about those I care for and I include WHAT or WHY I like/love about them. Have you tried it??? They will appreciate it.
On a different note I didn't win the lotto. Lindy, Sharon & I always get a lotto together for the big ones...ah well, maybe one day.
Appreciating the little things,
Jane

Terrible AND great!

Man, they drive you nuts, don't they??

No not checkout lines - computers!
How is it that one small task takes 8 years to do? (Small exaggerations are permissible when you are ready to scream...)
It's now after 1pm and even though I've baked 2 loaves of bread and burnt off to cds of documents for mum i feel like I've been here for EVER!
Well, I have a basic slideshow up and I hope you'll enjoy it. I'll add more when I have TIME and patience.
Well, now I'm going to go have some lunch...grrrrrrrrrr. Breathe. Breathe. Calm.
Yeah, well, I'm trying!
Technologically frustrated,
Jane

Power of inspiration

What inspires your creativity?

Where do you start?

Some people start with the photo or card design. Some it's pattern paper or even an accent. I love talking about this with my creative friends because we are ALL different. And that's something I LOVE. Man, it would be sooooooooooooo boring if we were all the same!

Where do I start? Anywhere. Everywhere.

This week the Spotlight catalogue had some lovely material on sale, all mix and match stuff and we were wishing it was paper so we could scrap with it. Quite often I get charged from the Pillow Talk catalogue and how they use colour. Check it out next time it arrives with the junk mail.

Often I see a shape, it can be a building, a magazine ad, and it gets the brain box ticking. Sketches for layouts come to me in creative bursts and I have to draw and scribble for all I'm worth. I dip into these as needed and they're one of my best resources.

Pattern papers do inspire me. I love colour and pattern. I'm loving the Making Memories papers at the moment and 3 of the 5 layouts for next weekend's classes all come from the current range.

A photo I absolutely adore sets off the creative vive too. I'll drop every other project on the go to scrap a photo I just HAVE to work on. I've been known to photograph something and scrap it straight away.

I guess the best way is to just go for what works for you. That makes sense because who else would know best what's right for you, but YOU?? I include a pic here of a layout everyone was enjoying in class this week. It's an older page titled Aims of Life with Basic Grey papers and Delish rub ons. The aims are: think deeply, be kind, give freely, love and laugh.

May inspiration find you wherever you may be!

Happy creating,

Jane

Girlfriends, Laughs & Mushrooms

Well, it's about time I updated this!

Like everyone else time seems to expand on the boring cleaning jobs & contract on the good stuff!

Thanks for the positive feedback on the Create for a Cause event! Yes, it will be fantastic. Special thanks to Yvonne who says she's coming for the food. Yes, Gorgeous Gobbles will be catering so you know it's gonna taste great!

Since we last chatted friends & I went to see Adam Hills at the Powerhouse Theatre. It's fantastic when you laugh so much you get tears in your eyes. I always enjoy Spicks and Specks (ABC TV Wednesday night) and his sense of humour is uplifting and very funny.

It was so noisy with a live band that I knew I was getting old. I didn't feel so bad when a 28 year old friend thought they were loud too! What's the go with the parking thing though?? Rant, rant, rave, rave. There's not enough parking to go round. Not like you can take a taxi from Caboolture to New Farm! My girlfriend Sharon had to park a suburb away and power walk!

The excitement of the week however is that I found out this week that I am NOT allergic or intollerant to bacon, roma tomatoes and mushrooms. Oh, the joy! I did a happy dance and arm waving like a demented monkey. Yum!

There is a mushroom looking toadstool growing in the front lawn in a curious shape of bottom cheeks. I MUST get a photo. That's the scrapper in me and my sense of the ridiculous. Sharon, Lindy & I all contemplated it yesterday arvo after a cuppa and a gluten free, dairy free, cane sugar free hummingbird cake muffin. Yes, I've been playing with baking. Pretty nice but not as good as the apple coconut ones I made last week.

Yesterday's class at Stamp Art Studio, Apsley was great fun and my sister Bin (Belinda) had her day off and came for the class so that made it even more special. It's been ages since she got creative time! Thanks to Margaret, Melissa & Wendy too. Hope you are playing with your flowers girls.

Special thanks to Rosemary who owns Stamp Art Studio and is supporting the Create for a Cause crop with lovely donations! More on this later, but it's a fantastic prize...

Remember to book into the crop soon as places are limited!

Cheers!

Jane

Feelin' Groovy??

Has cold and flu season arrived early?

Quite a few friends and even my mum have a cold at the moment – and it’s a doozy! The feeling-like-a-cement-truck-ran-over-you AND then backed up for another go type cold.

If the dreaded lurgy has you in its grip I wish you a speedy recovery. Remember that you deserve a rest to get over it.

Do you have any home remedies for fixing a cold? I don’t, but many people swear by vitamin C or lemon and honey drinks. Some say the answer is garlic…maybe if you’re a loaf of bread that would be okay! I go for Panadol and vicks vapour rub. (If you’re a scrapbooker this would make a great page about family traditions).

Did you see the chocolate frog diet?? I don’t know what it’s all about but I think many women would be interested just because the word chocolate appears in it! I can’t eat chocolate myself (migraines) but I still miss it even after 20 years.

I’ve decided to do a layout about foods I can’t eat because of allergy or intolerance and my girlfriend suggested a big pile of those I can’t eat and the little pile of those I can. The visual is excellent!

Lately I found out gluten, cane sugar, cashews, tomato and dairy are out. That’s lots of stuff! Lettuce, cabbage, wine, coffee, ginger, shellfish, capsicum, chillies and hot spices are already a no no.

I never knew you could get grain free bread made of potato and chickpea flour…. Loving to bake I will be working on some recipes and looking for good ones too.

Happy cooking,
Jane

Create For A Cause

Calling all scrapbookers, cardmakers and creative people!

Join us Saturday 30 May 2009 for 11 fantastic hours of stress-free creativity.

My niece Amelie was born 13 weeks premature...the turmoil and worry of that first 6 months cannot be underestimated. She weighed 1.12kg and spent the next 6 months in hospital. The Royal Brisbane Women's Hospital Premmie department cannot receive enough praise for their efforts. They kept her alive, they kept us going and now we have a beautiful baby girl to cherish.

On the day of the crop you will leave the humdrum behind for a bit of ‘me time’ to work on your own projects coupled with a great cause – helping fund equipment and research into the lives of premature and seriously ill babies through the Perenatal Research Centre (part of the Royal Brisbane Women’s Hospital Foundation).

Includes -
light lunch, afternoon tea, dinner & dessert
a scrapbooking or cardmaking challenge pack
a demo by an experienced paper artist/teacher

There will be games, prizes & a raffle on the day!

All this for $35.
Bookings are a must and registration closes 1 May 2009.
Email me at livelovelife42@y7mail.com for more information...

Get creative today,
Jane

Welcome to Real Life Scrapbooking!

What is that???

Well, it's all about the real you, your real feelings, creativity and responses to life.

What makes you happy creatively? That's what I'm on about and we hope you'll feel comfy here. Sink into the sofa, feet up, grab a cuppa & a cookie and I hope you are wearing your most relaxed clothes!

Never feel you have to get dressed up - unless you want to!

AND that's how I feel about life, scrapbooking, card making and paper arts in general.

I want to photograph, scrap and create without feeling I HAVE to or I SHOULD do it a certain way, and I want to scrap my regular photos - all the moments of life whether they are daggy or beautiful.

Have a great day,

Jane