School holidays

I had a week off work during our school holidays and it was sooo nice! Jamie and I hung out together and I realised how much I have missed just hanging with my son since he started school. Life has definitely gotten busier, and we seem to rush from one thing to the next, so it was lovely to slow down and do loads of fun things together.

Face painting

 

 

New toy library things to play with

 

Playing at the park with friends

 

Day trips

 

Activity books

 

Movies with friends

New toys

 

Doing not much at all

Kathie xx

Vintage love - sewing display tray

During the school holidays the Aussie Scrap Source design team has a treat lined up for you. We are decorating gorgeous 7Gypsies display trays and showcasing them on the blog all fortnight. Mine is the first up:

 

I decided to use an artists tray to showcase vintage sewing items that used to belong to my grandmother. Mum has had them all boxed up and stored away at her house. But they are so beautiful and, well, vintage that they deserve to be out on display. I love how they look here - I've used some of her vintage spools of thread, cards of darning thread, antique measuring tapes, tailors chalk, even an old metal thimble.

The tray has been decorated with a combination of vintage text papers from 7Gypsies and BasicGrey, vintage sewing tissue paper, unbleached calico and antique laces. I tried to pick items that would underpin the sewing theme.

 

Alongside the sewing items I've included a mix of scrapbooking embellishments including Prima flowers and pebbles, Tim Holtz sprocket gears, vials, and broken dolls, and Webster’s Pages Silhouettes. I love how they all look together.

 

The memory jar contains larger items that wouldn’t fit in the Printer’s Tray - spools of thread, a little bobbin, another vintage tape measure, and a linen runner that Grandma hand embroidered.

 

It has been decorated with beautiful Webster’s Pages gold netting trim, some Prima flowers and pale pink ribbon.

 

The project is a sentimental one for me. The cream and pink colour scheme is totally reminiscent of  Grandma - they were her favourite colours. The tray and jar will be a gift to mum, to sit on top of her heritage treadle Singer sewing machine. I hope she likes it.

The members of the design team will be sharing their projects each day for the next two weeks, and they are gorgeous! Believe me, simply stunning. So make sure you bookmark the site and check back each day.

If you would like to join in, Aussie Scrap Source is inviting you to send in images of your decorated artist tray and they will be featured at the end of the serires. Check the blog for more information.

Kathie xx

Run

Journaling: It’s a matter of just getting on the treadmill and putting in the time. Before I think about it and make excuses. Shoes on my feet, music in my ears and off I go.

Ah, this is what I was doing this morning. Before I headed off to the school assembly that Jamie's class was hosting. Very proud of my little boy. It was the first time I had attended school assembly. I  tend to try to avoid them. Naughty!

Anyway, I'm catching up with sharing my published layouts with you. This layout appeared in Scrapbooking Memories a couple of months ago. It records my efforts to run at least a couple of times a week.  You know, I used to run religiously. Five times a week. 6km at a time. I loved it! It was my way of keeping healthy and managing a stressful job. It cleared my head and made me feel good about life.

Of course then I used to run along the scenic track by our River Torrens, and through the North Adelaide Golf Course. It was beautiful and calming - almost meditative. Does that sound strange, given that I was usually huffing and puffing the whole way round...?

These days, I have these pesky knees that ache so I'm restricted to running on the springy treadmill. Pavements and uneven surface really don't work for me. Getting older sucks! But I don't let that be my excuse. I discipline myself to do it. Just to get on the treadmill. And after the first five minutes I'm usually OK.

I must say, my friend Shelley gave me some glucosamine supplements for my birthday (you can tell when you are getting old, when you get arthritis supplements for your birthday, lol!). And, man, why have I not been taking these before now? For the first time in I can't even remember how long I did lunges at the gym without my knees hurting, and I ran this morning with no pain at all. Yeeeee! Feelin' like a spring chicken!

(Oh, and I have to clarify that Shel didn't just give me arthritis tablets. Heee. Can't leave you thinking that my good friend just got me health supplements for my birthday. They were just a little something that she threw in the bag. Because she knows me well and, more to the point, has heard me complaining at the gym about my arthritic knees.)

And now I'm off to pick up Jamie from school. And now starts the school holidays. I think we have something on nearly every day. I might have a couple of projects to share with you during the holidays, so I'll pop back in to show you those.

Until then....
Kathie xx

Remembering sunny days

I am a bit behind in sharing my published pages with you. I had lost track of what issues were out. Anyway, here's one I had published in Scrapbooking Memories Issue 13 (5) a little while back. It features some summer photos of Jamie and I at the beach while we were on holidays.


Journaling: While we were on vacation we spent every morning at the beach. You were so little – every wave threatened to topple you over. But you had the best time!

I remember when I was making this, those little banners made me smile. They reminded me of little red and white polka dot bikini tops. I have a thing for red and white polka dots! And that photo. Awww. He was so little. I had to keep my hand behind his back in case a wave knocked him over. He was pretty unsteady on his feet in the surf. Little possum :).



It's freezing cold here today, so I'm longing for the sun. I can't imagine being able to wear bathers at the beach right now. It's so cold, and rainy. At least we're past the shortest day of the year! And almost halfway through winter :). It only gets better from here.

Kathie xx

Scrapbook Creations Issue 87 - Ten Years

A while back Carol-lea Morgan invited me to participate in a sketch challenge for Scrapbook Creations Issue 87. This is what I made:

Journaling: My sister, Skipping ropes, My sister, Barbie dolls, Hopscotch, Paper dolls, my sister, Mr potato Head, Dragster bikes, Slinkies, my sister, Plasticine, What's the time Mr Wolf?

After thinking about all the toys and phases that Jamie has, I was inspired to reflect back on my own childhood. I wanted to show a series of photos of my sister and I growing up, that depicted how close we were. And then I listed the toys that I recall we enjoyed back in the, gasp!, seventies.


I adored the Crate Paper Restoration line and it was perfect for this layout. I've inked it to within several inches of its life. I love the richness.

Ah, and more crochet...

What do you recall from your childhood? I'm starting a list!

Kathie xx