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Saturday 26 January 2019

With Sympathy



I'd just like to start this post with a heartfelt 'thank you' to all of you who have left me a comment on the news of mum and Brad's passing. I have taken much strength  from your beautiful words.
Mum's funeral was yesterday and it was a bright and festive affair. We had a church funeral but we asked everyone to wear bright colours to celebrate mums love of bright colours, fashion and beautiful materials. No one disappointed, it was amazing so see so many beautifully dressed people, so many amazing floral patterns, she would have been so proud of everyone.  

There was much celebration of mum's past with many tales covering over 80 years. Family and friends and even old neighbours arriving to see mum off.
Though I am grieving over the loss of my mum I also feel a great weight has lifted not having to watch her disappear  step by step into that awful disease. Now I know she is at peace and I am sure with her sister, Pat, looking down on us all and ready to listen should we want to talk to her.

I needed to make a few condolence cards this month, but this one was for us as I spent a lot of time getting those flowers just right for mum.

The flowers are a background stamp from The Ton 'Magnolia Fields' Ohh my goodness I enjoyed do this and cant believe it took me so long to stamp and paint it. I white embossed on multimedia paper.

I used Zigs for watercolouring, building the layers with different pinks, each time using a very small amount and a very wet brush.  I really love how it turned out and I know mum would have loved it.


I cut the panel down very slightly and added to a grey card base and the 'with sympathy' die cut. 
A beautiful card for my beautiful mum.


Again thank you to all my wonderful friends out there for your sweet and encouraging words. 



Challenges:











thank you so much for coming to visit and I hope you come again soon.






Sunday 20 January 2019

A Sad Beginning



It has been a hard beginning for 2019, a year that I knew would see my mother  finally finding the peace that has alluded her since she started this terrible journey with Alzheimer's disease.  Mum was diagnosed back in roughly April 2014.  Last year saw the need to move her into a cottage which has less residents, but all had different stages of Alzheimer's/Dementia.

 A couple of months ago, mum could no longer get out of bed and she started to sleep most of the time. She would still yell when touched by others and health care became a battle. Dad could not handle visiting mum to begin with but got better over time. Our families did a lot of sitting, holding her hand and just listening to her rambles, playing her favourite tunes and watching her disappear more each week.

Five days before mum died she lost the ability to swallow, food and liquids rejected.  I spent Wednesday with mum just sitting and holding her hand and watching her breathing.

I came back to Sydney to go to my best friends funeral service on Thursday. Brad was so very special in my life, being there when the twins were born, support through words and helping at home when needed. He was an amazing young man who got involved with helping to raise funds for Elysha's Early Intervention program; helped out at home so John and I could have some 'me time'; sharing together our love of the same authors and movies.  Sharing our heartache and joy over the little things and big. I say young man as at the time he was 18 and I was 32. 

Watching Brad go from a young man of 18 who was mature way beyond his years. A young man that battled with how others handled his telling them he was gay. Through all the changes in his life there was always this beautiful smile. He shared fully of himself no matter who he was with.

We shared laughter, tears and lots of conversations. I used to go stay with Brad in the city just to have a break from the family once a month. Dinner, the Casino, a movie or a show at home and always breakfast somewhere the next morning before I caught the train back home to my other life. I have a wonderful husband who understands I need these breaks and he always stepped up to look after the kids and keep things running while I was gone.

We loved to sit and drink coffee and eat dessert and check out people walking past. We shared jokes and heartache and talked like there was no tomorrow.   We watched each other go through friendships that didn't last and his finally meeting the man of his dreams.

But in the last 5 years we barely caught up each year,  it didn't matter cause thats what a true friendship is. I was depressed and struggling with mum and dads health issues along with Elysha's needs  and struggled to leave the house except to look after them, but Brad always found time to come see me. I always thought I had time to catch up and do what we use to do before, later. I didn't expect to have a call letting me know that at 46, Brad had collapsed and died. A massive heart attack while holidaying in Canada over Christmas. No warning, no previous history, just gone.

I have lost not one but two people who played major roles in my life, who listened to me and never doubted me, who believed I could achieve anything and loved me without reserve. I am feeling bereft and I know life will go on. My children, my husband and my wonderful friends and extended family are all being so wonderful. I understand that life will get easier and it will take time. 

Thank you for taking the time to read this and share in my life.

This is the only photo I can find with us together, it's years ago. Sadly I have an aversion to having my photo taken and am also usually the photographer so most photos are of Brad with others. This is back when Elysha was in year 6 at school. 

I have more recent photos of mum but this has always been my
favourite as the sparkle is still in her eyes and we are dressed up
as it's Christmas day.




Wednesday 16 January 2019

ReminderPost The Flower Challenge #28 Pink & Grey

It's time for a reminder post. I am so loving this challenge, the Design Team have made another amazing collection of cards in Pink & Grey and I want to CASe them all. And the wonderful cards already entered for this month are making things very hard.

Now remember it is Pink & Grey which means all in stamped images, diecuts background should be in pink or grey with of course Neutrals also accepted.

My card this time I have used this amazing stamped bouquet of flowers from Stamplorations Its a Shery Russ stamp and I love it. No having to work out where the flowers go and they are just stunning. 


I have stamped in Memento Ink then coloured with Copics. This time in the pink RV range. Then I have used greys in C -cool range for the leaves to give a good contrast with the pink flowers.

I added a few very fine pink gems and a 'silver glitter diecut 'Celebrate'. think I might be pushing it with the silver but it did look good on the card.


Now its time to go check out what the Design Team have made over at The Flower Challenge then see if we have given you some ideas and join us before the 25th.


Challenges:


















Saturday 5 January 2019

The Flower Challenge #28 Colour Pink and Grey




I love this challenge, probably one of my favourites as pink and grey look 
so amazing together with flowers.

I have used a digital image from Poppy Power  I just love their flowers they 
are simply stunning. 

I printed to the size I wanted and added the sentiment that came with it. I have coloured with dark pinks for the flowers for this one using the range R81 R83 R85 R89 warm greys for stems and leaves
W-1 W-3 W-5 

A pale pink for the floral bands and some pink sparkle washi tape and gems.

 now it's time to go and check out what the rest of the Design Team have been up to then get yourself crafting in all this winter chill and make a pretty floral card to warm yourselves up.

Before you go check out the wonderful little collage Vivienne put together with my favourite 4 cards from challenges in 2018. I think watercolouring with the Zigs was a winner last year especially on those large flower stamps. It was so hard to decide.


Alright..... now you can go to The Flower Challenge and see what everyones been doing.
Thank you so much for coming to visit and I hope to see lots of you in 2019.
Actually I already have a couple of posts ready to go xxx Aileen


Challenges:













Friday 4 January 2019

Three Fairies and a Dog!!!!

 I'm starting this year off in the right way. I am getting stuck in and using stamps I have had in my NBUS pile or are recent acquisitions. 
The fairies,  flowers and mushroom are from the latest Hero Art Kit (Decembers one) and has been a very popular hit with everyone. As soon as I saw it I could image lots of different cards perfect for my granddaughter to use for friends birthdays.
  I usually take so long to get my kits that everyone has shown what they can do and are busy looking at the next kits sneak peaks so inspiration sort of comes and goes before I can use. This time there is still lots of activity going on and I can see why. Its cute and pretty and just perfect for little girls.

I hope you can handle the number of cards that are going to come your way from just this kit. Today I have two using the three fairies, the daisy, mushroom and one sentient.
On this card I also used a new die that arrived yesterday from Sugar Pea Designs Isn't it amazing, the swirl of stars and wee little dots. I angled it off the edge as it was a bit long for the scene I had stamped but it still looks perfect. Added some silver glitter paper behind for sparkle.


I have coloured with Copics and Im in love with the dark blue Copic mix, new to me.
B99 B21 B24 and when finished I added sparkle with the gel pen that came with the stamps and dies to the wings of the fairies and in dots to the front of the bodice of the blue dress. I also added a little grey to the underside of the daisy as I dropped the daisy stamp and it left a faint shadow.
The sentiment is perfect for it. This is also all one layer which is amazing for me, no splotches or extra ink marks.


This next one is also one layer and after colouring the fairy and mushroom I masked and blended inks for background. I stamped the fairy first, then masked her and then stamped the mushroom.
You can see the sparkle on the wings from the Glitter Gel Pen that comes with the kit.
I blended distress  oxide as its so easy to get a smooth blend. I added a mask made from
a acetate sheet that I cut on the Scan n Cut with a rectangle shape. I have half a dozen sheets with different sized rectangles on them, they are great for masking and can just be wiped down after use.



I decided to leave a gap between the colours as I had seen this done and really loved the look. Sorry cant offer credit there as I have looked at so many cards it would probably take me a week to find the person again.  Anyhoooo finished off with die cut 'happy birthday' and some pretty little rainbow coloured gems. Very happy with it.


This final is a quicky card with a little puppy I had previously coloured, fussy cut. I think it maybe Whimsey stamp but will need to check. The birthday sentiment I have had forever, its not available anymore sorry.

 I stamped on the red cardstock with VersaMark ink and a background stamp with honeycomb look but it really doesnt show up well in these photos. It looks amazing IRL and has a dark contrast more like maroon to the red cardstock. I thought the image perfect as I had coloured him playing with red paint.

Okay thats it for today other than another family share.
My oldest grandson Keegan 16 years came and stayed for a week and my youngest Grandson Koby at 10 weeks enjoying lots of cuddles.


thank you so much for coming to visit and I hope you come again soon.


Challenges:

Never Stop Dreaming




Happy Birthday Fairy & Mushroom



Without the Topping Happy Birthday Fairy & Mushroom




Happy birthday Puppy




I was unable to attach button, sorry.

Never Stop Dreaming, 
Stamps and Die new.




Never Stop Dreaming




Happy Birthday Puppy