Farewell

This announcement for our farewell party is being announced in a couple of church newsletters today. That makes it official - we are moving!!!

The Sylvesters are moving to Sydney.

There’s going to be a Farewell Party for them on the 20th September, in the St Pete’s Parish Hall, from 2-4pm. It will be an opportunity to chat, sign their farewell book and say good-bye. Please bring a plate of afternoon tea to share. Drinks will be provided.

Douglas and Diane are not going to send out formal invitations but would love you to come, and feel free to pass this invitation on to other friends.

RSVP (so we can know numbers) to Janelle Hardy XXXX XXXX or Diane Sylvester XXXX XXXX

If you can’t possibly make it, but still want to say ‘bye, the farewell book will be at Viewpoint Photographics (in the Viaduct Centre, Miller St) for a little while before and after the party. You are welcome to drop in and add your bit.

This is the note that comes with the book...

I’m so glad you can add an entry to our farewell book!

This book has been divided into alphabetical sections - you can add your comment under your initial (first or second name) or you can be respectfully creative and write your message anywhere else in the book. For instance, you might decide to start your message with “Ta ta” and add it under t. Or, use x as the symbol for a kiss and write your sentiments accordingly.

Please use the pens provided - they have been tested on the paper and it seems they do not bleed or go through the paper. Keep that in mind while you are writing.
If you would like to take the book away with you, don’t!!! Please contact me (Diane) and organise a time to have it.

We’d love to keep up to date with you all. Here are some ways you can do that…
Diane
Email - mama_pud at aapt dot netdot au
Blog - http//:scrappamammy.blogspot.com/
Mobile - email me :)
Douglas
Email - douglas.sylvester at msp dot com dot au
Mobile - email him :)
Sophie-Lee
Email - sophielee.sylvester at gmail dot com
Mobile - email her :)
Or, leave your contact details with your message.
Thanks everyone.
Love, Diane

About the book. I bought this beautiful hand made book at the Grass Roots store in Armidale. I added glimmermist, alphabet tabs, stamped flourishes, quotes and the tie made with a gorgeous hand dyed fibre from Viv Bonder - by whom I have been inspired of late and some bits and pieces, includng bells, to give it my own personal touch. Now it just needs our friends to add their comments and it will be a great treasure to me.

That's all for now. Off to do some more packing.

Exquisite Eagle

The challenge at The Boxx this week is to do a layout with no people in it. It just so happened that I had already decided to do a layout about a lovely carved shell I now have in my possession - I want to have an account of the special things in my life so that there is a record for future generations.

Not only that but I had been inspired by the colour theme on My Page at The Boxx. It's called Icecream - I bet it is Neapolitan!

Icecream inspiration, no people, clean and simple and this is what I came up with.


My Dad spent a small amount of time in Aden while he was in the RAF. During that time I was born :) In about 1962 Dad and Mum bought this beautifully handcrafted shell for a few shillings. The workmanship is exquisite yet it was sold for a pittance in the Arab markets.

The back of the mother of pearl shell is carved with the craftsman's name, in Arabic, I presume.

Products: Bazzill; Fontwerks and Making Memories pp; Fiskars threading water punch; scalloped decorative scissors; ribbon, tempus sans font.

Glad this wasn't me.

I read this story
and then I read this story
I remembered some of my own paint moments (Hudson and green paint)
and realised that things are not that bad at the moment.
Going to hide my paints right now!

A Birthday in da House

It's Susannah's birthday - 13 today.


Susannah is the 6th teenager that I have had the pleasure of having under my care. Only 15 and a half years of teeangers left now!

Also, Happy Birthday Peg!

Crazy Quilt

I'm not talking about the kind of quilting where you sew irregular shaped pieces of fabric together to form a crazy quilt. I'm talking about the crazy quilting I did on Malachi's blanket.

A stitch in time saves nine! That's the motto my Mum has lived by and to her credit! Much to Mum's dismay, no doubt, I have not inherited that virtue. I do repairs but usually I'm up to nine stitches before I get around to it. I did, however, seem to inherit a little sentimental attachment to things. Hence I have just spent a lot of time sewing a blanket that is long past its use-by date onto a new piece of fabric.


Jesus says, recorded in Matthew 9:16, "No one sews a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment, for the patch will pull away from the garment, making the tear worse." Well I did!

DH kindly bought the totally non-matching bit of fleece (That's what happens when you send someone else to do your errands. Have you ever tried relating a colour to someone over the phone without a point of reference?) and I sewed Malachi's much loved blankie to it - without even prewashing the fabric!!! Dozen madder.


I sewed and sewed and sewed for what felt like two whole days. Finally it is all done, washed, dried and ready for Mal to take to bed. He loves his blanket. There's something about the crocheting and sticking his fingers through it that just makes it special.


What does Mal like about his blanket? "I've had it for a long time and I don't want it to die," says Malachi wistfully.

I will aim to scrap these photos some time but I don't know when that will be so I thought I would just get it down for now.

Sneak Peak

Here's a sneak peak at what I have been doing for the better part of two days. (Well, it feels like that anyway.)

Get This Look

As I have already mentioned, I had a hair cut yesterday. Some of you will look at the photo and go "Whoah! That's different." Others of you probably have no idea what it looked like before. Do you think I can find a decent photo that shows you? No.

Hennyway. I realised that I have not had a change of hairstyle since I have been scrapbooking this way, so I combined my new look with the funky colour challenge at Colorstory. CS7 calls for a funky mix of yellow, pink, teal and red, with layers and stitching details to give a youthful tone.


Whaddayreckon?

The journalling reads: I found a photo of a hairstyle that I liked. I wasn't sure if it would work on my hair, but with the help of some new hair products and my favourite hairdresser, this is the result.

The new hair products are AWESOME - NonScents - not at all expensive, even getting them from the U.S.

Products:Bazzill; KI Memories Lace cardstock; Fiskars Threading Water punch; EK Success Retro Flower punch; Blumenthal Lansing Co. Buttons; Some other buttons ?; Carolee's creations AdornIt Tiny Whoopsy Teal Alphabet; Zig Millennium Pen; Embroidery thread.

What Makes Me Happy?

That's the title of my novel layout for the weekly challenge at The Boxx done in Louise style.

The challenge, by Leeann, was...

I would like to see a shaped LO...eg circle scallop,bracket etc
Little pics
distressing and inking
and some bling bling

I didn't answer the question because there are too many things to list.


Here's a little thing that made me very happy. When I went outside to photograph this layout Hudson followed me with a stripey bag full of tea set things. He was chatting away to himself and singing.

"Shoo be doo de do. I'm having a picnic. Yep. I'll put that there. La di da di dah"

I stuck my layout on the bench, photographed it, took it off the bench and headed inside.

"La di da di dah. I've finished now. Shoo be doo de do. Let's just put it all back in the bag. Yeah. Hey! Open the door for me!"

Too bad I didn't get a video of the whole thing. It really was a vignette of Hudson's personality. (NB Vignette is my word of the moment.)

Products:Bazzill Kraft (YAY!); Zig Writer; Stazon; Making Memories Acrylic Paint; Making Memories Colored Staples; PaperMate Liquid Paper; Doodlebug Boutique Trims; Bo Bunny Bodacious Brads; KaiserCraft Rhinestones; Unibal Signo Gel Pen.

I forgot to say...

The photos are selfies of me saying "what makes me happy" I only put 5 on the layout but I took 9 and I reckon my Mum could tell what I was saying if she flicked through the photos. Sophie-Lee could tell the 'happy' bit!

AND...

I had my hair cut yesterday. It is rare for me to have a change of hairstyle but that is what I did yesterday. I found a picture of a hairstyle I thought could work, asked my hairdresser if she could do it, she studied the photo, and had a go. The result...


This is what it looked like yesterday. It may never look like that again - well, technically, it won't because it is growing, but you know what I mean.

Vicarious Olympic Experience

I haven't really spent much time watching the Olympics. I have, however, enjoyed reading Heidi Swapp's blog where she gives an account of the fun and excitement of being there.

Just thought I'd tell you that. :)

Just thought you might like to know.

When Douglas and I watched Get Smart in Port Macquarie I laughed 'til I cried. I was wearing a Clinique mascara that is not at all waterproof. When I emerged from the darkened cinema I had no mascara left on the bottom lashes of one eye!!!!

I tell you this because I want to tell you about this profoundly amazing mascara I have just found. Cliniques's Lash Power.

Anything you read or hear about it is true. This is what it says on the little bit of paper inside the box...

Its revolutionary formula provides extreme 12-hour wear without smudging or flaking. It resists sweat, humidity and tears, yet washes off easily with warm water.

It can't be called waterproof because it isn't, but it sure resists all the water you want it to resist. It even won't come off with eye-makeup remover!

You wanted to know that, didn't you?

2 days 3 nights

As you may, or may not, have realised, I have been doing the Blue Bazaar Mixed Media challengs. It's a bit of fun and is taking my in directions I may not have gone if I wasn't challenged to do so. Obviously I have a tendency to go in the arty direction anyway.

The challenge this month is to use ephemera in a project. I love that word! I think it is the short vowel sound of the e. Want to know how to pronounce it? Click here to hear it said out loud - oh yeah!

Anyway. After much Ephemera shuffling I came up with this... a small memento of our trip away. You can tell we had a great time cos I have scrapped it at least 3 different ways now :)


The ephemera that I used - Rydges coaster, cinema ticket, lemon myrtle chocolate wrapper. There was more. Much more. But it didn't fit on the page in a way that pleased my eye so you get the pick.

Other products: Scenic Route Kraft paper; Elle's Studio Calendar tag; Making Memories coloured staples; whiteout tape; Uni pin pen; Tombow ABT Black Pen; Zig Writer.

Time For a Pink Page

Charmaine Otto said this...

I challenge you to make a LO on 7 facts about YOU....good or bad.....with a pic of you included!!

for The Boxx weekly challenge.

So without ado, here it is.


I was inspired by daisyd's paper Sing to start with. I didn't want the birthday theme on my paper so I decided to have a play with paint and things and ended up with this little mixed media number!

Products: Making Memories acrylic paint and coloured staples; Byzantia paint; calico from a Demeter flour bag; tulle; 7gypsies clear buttons; Jenni Bowlin Rubons; Mitsubishi Impact Gel Pen; Fancy Pants acrylic stamp (love that stamp!); wick embellishment from a candle :); Page of old book; K&Company K.ology Metal Art; Queen & Co Felt Fusion; Sequins; KaiserCraft Rhinestones; oh, and there's a Chatterbox flower.

Oh! You want to know what the 7 facts are!

I used to ...
get my hair permed
make clothes for my kids
do calligraphy
collect pigs
swim 1km a day
own a little red car
want to be a teacher.

I don't now :)

A Greeting!

Happy Birthday

to a

dear, dear friend.

You know who you are! :)

Ointment and perfume rejoice the heart: so doth the sweetness of a man's friend by hearty counsel. Proverbs 27:9

Iron sharpeneth iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend. Proverbs 27:17

Daffodils

When I saw the White With 1 challenge for this month I immediately knew that I would have to scrap daffodils.

The daffodils are flowering in the back yard right now but that does NOT mean that Spring is in the air.
It isn't!
We have had a very cold, icy winter and I am looking forward to Spring and warmer weather.

That's the journalling on the page that uses...

White - dominant colour
with 1 - Yellow
with 1 - flowers (I made flowers out of Heidi Swapp XL ghost hearts)


I used Leeann's stitch and rip technique too. Ideally (I say with sore fingers) one would use paper, but I used cardstock! I like the effect. I love my sewing machine too - Mum (and Dad) gave it to me as a wedding present nearly 27 years ago. It still works fine (if Sophie-Lee doesn't touch it).

Daffodils make me think of an illustrated poem in the set of encyclopaedia that we had when I was a kid. The poem was "I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud" by William Wordsworth.

"I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud"

I wandered lonely as a cloud
That floats on high o'er vales and hills,
When all at once I saw a crowd,
A host, of golden daffodils;
Beside the lake, beneath the trees,
Fluttering and dancing in the breeze.

Continuous as the stars that shine
And twinkle on the milky way,
They stretched in never-ending line
Along the margin of a bay:
Ten thousand saw I at a glance,
Tossing their heads in sprightly dance.

The waves beside them danced; but they
Out-did the sparkling waves in glee:
A poet could not but be gay,
In such a jocund company:
I gazed---and gazed---but little thought
What wealth the show to me had brought:

For oft, when on my couch I lie
In vacant or in pensive mood,
They flash upon that inward eye
Which is the bliss of solitude;
And then my heart with pleasure fills,
And dances with the daffodils.

A whole page in the encyclopaedia (probably under Wordsworth) was devoted to a photograph (if I remember rightly) of a field of daffodils with a tree overhanging the scene. I don't know if there was a man in the picture or if I just imagined him there. So there you go. Actually, it might've been an illustration because I think all the photos were black and white and only the illustrations were in colour and this page was definitely in colour!

I think I learned to read by reading the captions in those volumes. I didn't know where, but there was a photo of David by Michelangelo that Deb and I used to giggle over when we found it. Another page I absolutely loved was a whole-page illustration of the different types of grass - hand drawn and beautiful.

Daffodils are now used to raise money for cancer research. As far as I can tell August 22nd 2008 will mark 15 years that Daffodil Day has been marked in the calendar.

Products:Bazzill; Mont Martre acrylic paint (It was the only one I had in bright yellow!); Heidi Swapp XL Ghost Hearts; Uni pin 0.1 and 0.3 fine line pens; And I rolled Glue Dots! Rolling Glue Dots, which I saw on a video at The Boxx (I think) has revolutionised my use of those marvelous adhesive spots.

Beautiful Moments

I just have to record two moments.

On the night before last I was very cold, more from hormones than from the actual temperature (which was probably in the -ve), so I upped the electric blanket to 2 and went and found myself another blanket to put on top of my favourite chenille dressing gown.

The blanket that I laid my hands on in the cupboard in the dark was my pink crocheted blanket that I made when I was about 10 years old. I taught myself to crochet with the help of my next door neighbour. Dad very kindly kept up the supply of yarn to keep me in crocheting - the craft of the moment.


Anyway. In the morning as Hudson walked past my reposing form he couldn't help but notice the blanket that he had never seen before (consciously, at least) and he exclaimed "Oh! Boodiful blanket!" and kept going. That brought a sweet smile to my lips.

This morning Hudson came to me with outstretched arms. "I have a present for you," he said.

As I was wondering if he meant he was going go hug me, he handed over the huge present for me to hold. Hudson is a great mime artist and I never offend/reject him by refusing his magnanimous gifts. I took the present and laid it on my lap.

"Open it," Hudson prompted. So I did.

"It's a boodiful blanket. It's pink."

You should've seen the gorgeous proud smile he had. I promptly spread the blanket over my legs to keep me warm.

No sooner had I exclaimed my delight at the blanket's beauty and warmth then (Is that the right word?) Hudson had another huge parcel for me. This time a box of pretzels - a very, very large box of pretzels. Yum!

It has been a long time since Hudson played his miming games and I was beginning to miss them. So glad they're are back.

Chess

A new obsession - Chest. That's how Declan says it! And he's likely to kill you if you make the wrong move. "Take," I say patiently. "Take!"

My Dad taught me how to play chess but I was never really interested. Now I know very little about it - how the knight moves, and the pawn. That's all. DH taught the kids how to play and now Declan, and sometimes even Hudson, can beat their Dad!!!

(I also now know that the queen goes on her own coloured square - I didn't know that when I took the photo. Declan was questioning it but I couldn't help him and he'd had enough of photos for me to find out.)

Anyone for a game of chess? Declan will play you.

Products:Bazzill Bling (the back!); Technique Tuesday Textile Squares; Heidi Swapp foam stamps diamonds; Tim Holtz Grungeboard shapes; Making Memories black paint; Folk Art Metallic Pure Gold; Stazon Ink; Towmbow ABT marker; Uniball Signo Gel pen; Heidi Swapp XL ghost heart; Foof a La button; DMC embroidery thread; KaiserCraft Rhinestones.

Reuben's 10

Last night I asked Reuben a number of questions - What's your favourite thing to do? What's your favourite colour? And things like that.

His answers were simple and concise. His favourite thing to do is worship God. His favourite colour is black.

I needed more.

So after a little discussion we came up with 10 things that Reuben likes to do. Definitely on the top of his list - worhip God. When he said his prayers last night Reuben thanked God for me scrapbooking. "What about the fab time you had playing with Jacob at Titus Group?" I asked. "Thank you for Mum scrapbooking and Jacob," Reuben prayed.

Gotta love him!


For a guideline for inspiration I used the weekly challenge from The Boxx, set by Mardi which says...

Use some chipboard
a vertical title
and some Rub-ons.

Products: Bazzill; Making Memories Ledger Text; American Crafts Thickers; Sassafras lass Cardstock Stickers; Creative Imaginations Impress Ons; Love Elsie Self Adhesive fabric; Chipboard from Sharmaine; Memories Mist; Grungeboard heart; Jo Sonja's paint; Making Memories Colored Staples; Date Stamp; Brilliance Ink; Versacube Pincone; Uniball gell Pen; and a piece of a page of comic book - Reuben likes reading comics - like Hagar the Horrible, Swamp, and Asterix.

At Eight Minutes Past Eight

On the Eighth of the 8th Oh Eight our family had a group hug - just for fun. And a bit of a communal kiss :)

That's all.

The Months Move Slowly

Oh, how slowly the months move when I do a layout that I can't show you until it is put up on the Aussie Scrap Music Blog.

Anyway - the time has come to show you my layout that was inspired by Gotye's Thanks For Your Time. When I first saw the clip I was sure that I would be able to do anything. Anything! But no. Inspiration left me holding a printed screen that I thought would help and some cardstock.

I'm a little bit embarrassed to show you really. I hope you don't think it is disgusting. But feel free to if you want :) It is weird, I know. But I had the greatest fun doing it. You know... my tongue hanging out the side of my mouth as I contorted my wrists to cut around the scallopy outlines. Real childlike pleasure. And the quotes from the lyrics fit so perfectly at the moment.

So without further ado...


That is actually a photo of a shadow of DH and I on the wall of the Tacking Point Lighthouse. Here it is so that you can look at it better.



What did I use? ColorMates, Making Memories and Bazzill cardstock, a Uniball Gel pen and a teensy bit of ric rac (Caitlin's idea for the telephone cord).

Working for the Fam

My dearest Douglas,
It seems that if it was left up to you, you would never take a holiday. Work is your life. You work hard, day and night, week in week out. I know you do it for us - for me and the kids. I'm glad it's not my responsibility. You do a great job working for the fam.

I started off with the weekly challenge at The Boxx set by Janelle.

This week, I challenge you to scrap a layout that includes the following...

1. The colour brown
2. The colour orange
3. lace or trim of some kind
4. Some vintage paper (from an old book, sheet music, comic book OR old patterned paper if you can't find anything else)
5. Use more than one photo
6. Why not add some vintage buttons as well

(You can add other things to your layout as well, just include the above things as well)

I wasn't going to do it but the orange was calling out to me. The only thing I didn't have was more than one photo - dozen madder.

As I was browsing Kathie Link's blog I spotted this layout which inspired me to do a layout about DH.

And then I remembered that I wanted to scrap with this colour inspiration which I set up in our motel room in Port Macquarie.


Oh, and guess who else I was inspired by? Yep, Louise. And? Belinda, who does nice things with Kraft cardstock.

The vintage paper comes from an old Cole's Funny Picture Book No.2 which I picked up at a book fair in Brisbane. I felt a little bit naughty tearing it up, but it is in bad nick and it just fits the topic of my layout so well.



What did I use? Kraft cardstock (don't know what brand); Pink Paislee Office Lingo Shapes; Heidi Swapp Chipboard Alphabet; Basic Grey Sweet Meat Mini Monograms; Ribbon (or in this case, trim!) from ?; Melissa Frances Vintage Antique Buttons; Papermate Liquid Paper; Tombow Mono Correction Tape; Stewart Gill Byzantia 'paint'; Making Memories coloured staples; Uniball Gel Grip pen; Uni Pin 0.01 and 0.03 pens; Poem "Nobody Knows but Father" from Cole's Funny Picture Book No.2.