Let's Get Shabby Challenge #37 - Inspiration

This challenge is based on the photo of old paint brushes in a pot near a paint splattered canvas; as soon as I saw it I thought of the paper I have used and the photo taken many years ago of an old piece of jetty in Busselton WA. The paint brushes are old and well used; are they left to age alone, are they just waiting for the artist to return, will they inspire another artist to take them up; what stories they could tell, there is a beauty in their age and use. It is the same for the jetty; who built it and when, what was it used for, what left it in ruin? There is beauty in it's strength and it's weakness, in it's age and it's decay. Look at the rust in the nuts and bolts and the lines of weather and use in the timber; there are so many stories in there waiting to be told. Alongside the piece of old jetty are foot prints left only moments before; the old and the new together, both telling their own story. 

I love old things; this piece of jetty, an old farm fence, an old door or iron gate, older or ancient architecture. I love that these things were built hundreds or, in some cases a thousand years ago. I had the privilege and pleasure of going around the world in 20 days in 1998 with my youngest sister; 5 days of that trip were spent in the south of England. Oxford, a Cistercian Abbey ruin, Roman baths and Stone Henge just a few of the places I saw in those few days. To reach out and touch walls that were built so long ago, to see the technology in use and imagine the stories those walls could tell, if only they could speak.

Thank you for looking and for any comments you may leave, best wishes.

Daring You to Scrap - July (Tape & twine)

Our second eldest son, writing the Best Man speech for his youngest brothers wedding. He had been stressing about it for weeks and it was only a few hours before the wedding. His Dad took the rest of the wedding party outside to give him some peace and quiet so he could get it done; the photographer was able to sneak this photo of him. It is a great photo and emphasises his strong facial features. The speech was perfect and well presented, a good balance of fun and seriousness; it spoke volumes about his love for his brother.

This son had a pretty rough start to his life with an undiagnosed allergy and chest complaints. He also struggled through school and in his apprenticeship. He rarely complained about what life threw at him and although he had a temper, it rarely lasted long and he would be as loving as always. He is the tallest of our boys at 6'4'', suffering growing pains as a child and teenager.

He joined the volunteer fire brigade at 17 and gave them 5 years of good service before marrying and starting a family of his own. He now has two little men of his own, a little angel in heaven and another child due in January. He is kind, sensitive and loving and likes nothing better than to spend time with his little family, his brothers and their families and is generous with his time for his parents. He is strong, loyal and committed. We are truly blessed to have him in our lives.

Thank you for looking and for any comments you may leave, best wishes.

Scrap the Boys - July Challenge (School photos)

As my husband and I and our siblings had been privately educated at great sacrifice by our respective parents, we chose to also privately educate our four boys. Not only that, but since we had gone through single sex schools, we also chose this for our sons. It is a decision we have never regretted. They had their social time with students from the nearby girls school on the bus each day and at planned social events but were able to concentrate on their studies whilst in class. They were schooled with the same values and morals that we were endeavouring to teach them at home. They were also treated as individuals instead of 'someones' brother and therefore their individual needs were met, particularly in high school. None of them chose to go to University but all held down steady part-time jobs when at school and went into full apprenticeships.

It became a habit for us as I am sure it is for many families, for all the boys to have a photo taken at home on the first day of school each year. As the boys got older they were a little less in favour of the idea but put up with it for my sake. The year this photo was taken the eldest was in Year 10, the second in Year 8, the next in Year 6 and the youngest in Year 3. It is very clear from the reactions on their faces that I had asked for just '1 2 Many (photos)'.

Thank you for looking and for any comments you may leave, best wishes.

Once Upon a Sketch - July Challenge (Friends)

The girls in this photo have become very dear to me; most of us had been scrapbooking at the same store for a while but were more aquaintences than friends until after April 2009. It was whilst I was scrapbooking my son's motorbike album after his accident that we became friends. I hated his bike and had very few photos of it until after his death; the members of his club were very kind in allowing me to use photos from their website and, when asked, would tell me the story behind the photo. Scrapbooking his time with them and reading how much they thought of him helped me to understand that part of his life. 

It was during this very important period of my mourning that these girls came to surround me with their support, their understanding my need to talk about my son and the accident, the issues that resulted from it and what completing the album meant to me. During the following three years they have continued to give me their unconditional love and support for which I am truly grateful.

We have all been through something difficult in those three years and have been there for each other in that time and have become very close friends. We now have a bi-annual scrap camp together and break into song from the classic musical movies and Mama Mia movie playing in the background; the reason behind my title! (The Journaling is on the back of the LO.)

This photo was taken when celebrating my sisters' 50th birthday in 2011, her daughter and her daughters best friend celebrated with us in a black and white themed High Tea.

Thank you for looking and any comments you may leave, best wishes.

Let's Get Shabby - June Challenge

Third Birthday Challenge #31 - This is the New Year.

New Years Day; my youngest son, his wife and 1 month old daughter looking out from their front door onto the New Year. The past year had been both sad and wonderful; my daughter-in-Law had a difficult relationship with her mother and had worked very hard in the past year to rebuild the link between them, they had come to understand, appreciate and love each other not long before her mother was diagnosed with late stage cancer and subsequently passed away only months before the little one was born.The birth of their first child, this beautiful, tiny little girl brought a new wonder into their lives.

I have posted of my hopes and wishes for my little families previously so wont go into it again but to say that, in looking out onto a New Year, they are looking out onto a year of new hopes, new dreams and new possibilities and, with our love, support and very best wishes for them.

Thank you for looking and any comments you may leave, best wishes

CSI#25 Scraplift Challenge

I chose to scraplift Heather Jacobs' CF#19; I love her beautiful layouts but try as I might, I have not done her justice, there are so many layers and so much skill in her work.

My eldest son and his wife, 15 months after their own wedding; Best Man and Maid of Honour for our second son and his bride. This is one of my favourite photos of my son and his wife; there is so much love between them and it really shows through in this candid shot taken on the beach near the reception centre. My sons accident was five years later and they still looked at each other in the same way. I have included a letter to both of them for his wife to read if she wishes when she inherits my son's albums. They had so much of their lives in front of them and my heart aches for her. I could only wish that I could have seen that same look between them 20 years from now.

Thank you for looking and for any comments you may leave, best wishes.

Scrapmatts - June Challenge

I can't resist a challenge; the inspiration for this challenge was to use the song 'Hello World' by Lady Antebellum. I watched the video and was very moved by the story of the song, so much so that I down loaded the song from iTunes.

There were many photos that I could have used and many different avenues I could have gone down with this one but chose to use a line from the song... 'I remember why I am here'.

In the dark moments it is too easy to wallow and wonder if you are just taking up space or if you really do have a purpose here, if you have a job to do and you have to stay until it is done.

The men in this photo are my inspiration, my reason for being here.

They and their children are my world and I do everything I can to be the person that they need me to be whilst still being true to myself. I can only hope and pray that I get it right and am there for them when they need me to be.

Thank you for looking and any comments you may leave, best wishes.