Remover of Obstacles

Another Bali layout, and memories of a trip through an exotic landscape of rice terraces and coconut trees to this shrine, with the approach carved out of the rock. A truly amazing place. Ganesh is known as the Lord of Good Fortune and the Remover of Obstacles, so I've placed some flowers round his photos and hope that the some of the obstacles can be removed from my life (especially regarding my diet and healthy living attempts and this current and very tiring bout of flu!) Here's another layout featuring the gorgeous landscape of rice terraces and coconut trees.

Airport Stories

This photo was taken at Melbourne Airport. After a year of travelling on a 'round the world' ticket my plane was delayed for hours when a truck crashed into one of the engines and they had to try and fix it. Quantas were very good, first sending up some voucers for refreshments, then some pizzas, and evenually just opening up the bar as we were the only ones left in the airport! So a group of us sat round the table telling our stories of how we each came to in the airport waiting for the plane to Bali ... One of the girls from the table (Anita from Holland) and I decided to team up to find some accomodation near the airport as we arrived very late. We both wanted to see more of Bali so travelled up to Ubud together and spent a lovely few days sharing meals and sights and travels. This lo is the first time I've tried sanding the edges of the photos, and I justlove the effect, it seems to suit the BG Urban Couture rather distressed look. Well, I've had another lazy tired day today trying to shrug off this flu ... hope everyone else is much chirpier!

Bali: An Island People

Still feeling fluey today, though a lovely lunch and a walk round the garden centre did help, and tonight I finished off a lo I started yesterday for my Bali theme. I have so many fascinating photos from this trip that I can't bring myself to just use one! So this is another multi layout. Hope everyone's having a good weekend.

Change of look

Hello, not done a great lot today as I'm still struggling with this wretched flu bug ... harrumph. So I just played about with templates instead (if only I could change the way I look as easily!) and just happened to wander into a wool shop on my daily constitutional so am now knitting a nice pair of multi coloured socks - at least I hope they're going to be nice!

Bali Life

I know this lo is really busy, and the most multi lo I've done, but I think it works as a collage of memories, and captures the busy island scenes! It's hard to remember these beautiful relaxed fruit breakfasts when you're dasing for the kettle and it's pitch black outside, so this is to remind myself...

Dreaming of Bali

I went there in '94, at the end of a year spent mostly in Australia, and of course I have about two drawerfuls of photos from my travels. So the time has come to start scrapping them! I've started on Bali, some colourful and exotic memories to lighten up a dark January. There was a bit on the news that today is officially the most miserable day of the entire year, don't know about others but I always find January pretty depressing. It's so dark and cold and damp here, and I always seem to get the bug that's doing the rounds, so this was something to cheer me up!

Inside the confessional!

Finished off the inside pages this afternoon (then of course had to wait for the Stickles to dry...) so here are my 5 confessions: 1) I had a 21st party for my teddy bear 2) Sometimes I dream of chocolate cake 3)I don't know how to do this! 4)I love to win at Scrabble 5)I burnt my hand 5 months ago and haven't ironed since. This has been such fun Shimelle, thanks!

I have something to confess...

I've only got the cover finished, but well on the way with the rest. Check back Sunday! But just to get us on the way here's the latest fun blogthing I've seen

You Are Lightning

Beautiful yet dangerous People will stop and watch you when you appear Even though you're capable of random violence You are best known for: your power Your dominant state: performing

What Type of Weather Are You?

Bitty Blossoms

The Bitty Blossoms are my UKS team, and cyber friends who keep me sane and provide lots of laughs too. This was in response to our own team challenge (first one!). The remit was to only use 1 photo (quite hard for me), plain cardstock, scraps of patterned paper no larger than 6x6, and no bought embellies. I'd had this picture in mind for a while and am quite pleased with the cheery colours of it. Another glimpse of sumnmer (I'm getting desperate here, haven't seen the sun for a long time....)

Summer memories

In the run of gales and generally dreich weather here it's good to remember sunnier days, playing in the garden with the nephews! I think this just about mark the end of the October Scrapagogo kit - but with 12 layouts out of it, plus lots of bits and bobs and good sized scraps left, I'm well pleased. Now all I have to do is use up December's before I'm allowed to get any more...

Something to cheer me up!

Well I've been lurking inside since Wednesday now, in my pjs, sleeping most of the day, and surviving on paracetamols mostly! Yes, I definitely have the lurgy that's on the rounds. But an email from Shimelle cheered me up - she's doing another class this week - and it's free! So go check it out. Her classes are fab.

Still poorly...

However I've done some more layouts, using up the October kit I got, some old photos and odds and ends. And last but not least this was the weekly challenge on UKS - and features my 21 year old faithful companion Noel, and oh yes, we did have a 21st party for him at New Year!

Under the weather today

'Fraid I'm rather under the weather today (and rotten weather it is too!), all fluey and yeuch, so have stayed at home and finished off some layouts that I've been thinking about for a couple of days (some were done yesterday). I've been using up October's Scrapagogo kit which I got as a one off to see what they were like and it was indeed a fab kit, but I don't think I could cope with one every month - I've still not touched the December one I got! Anyway hope you're all feeling better than I am today!

Slip slidin' away!

Now that the Christmas journal is over it's back to picking up all the other unfinished bits and bobs lying around. This layout was done with more of the October Scrapagogo kit and shows my sister and her elder son having fun. Great memories of a fun day to help cheer up the dark and dismal January here ...

You know that I will never really, truly and entirely grow up!

This is following Roz and Kirsty's Book of Me prompts on UKS, (we've already done I Am, One day, and If I didn't). Seemed strange doing a layout that's not Christmassy! But I am enjoying this set of challenges, and will keep to the black card theme throughout.

Just couldn't leave it alone, could I?

Well I couldn't could I? Not after my parting thought yesterday, so I did indeed tie lots of ribbons onto my Christmas journal, and now it looks a lot happier... Oh well, better go and tidy up now I suppose...

All goods things come to an end...

It's twelfth night, and the end of the journal, *sniff*, I can't quite believe that it's over, or that I've finished on time, season of miracles indeed! This has been a great thing for me to do, both creatively and emotionally, it really has given me back Christmas as a time to enjoy. And that is quite some gift. So huge thanks to Shimelle for this class ... can't wait for the next one.... and also to all the wonderful scrappers I've 'met' on the group and been inpsired by their work both on their blogs and on writtendown.com, and who have helped me along so much with their fun and inspiring comments here. Here's to next year! We were also asked to take some photos of the finished book, so here goes: Hhmm, did I say I was finished? Think I'll maybe just go and put some ribbons on the spiral binding ...

Packing up the decs....

I took down all the decorations today, shortly after Gordon picked up Mum to take her home. They come down quick enough, but I hate the actual packin up, wrapping in tissue paper, putting them in their little boxes, then into bigger boxes, and then into the wardrobe in the spare room, to sit in silence, hibernating, and waiting til their time comes round again ... But once it's done, and all the bits of tinsel and glitter have been hoovered away then the place looks so clean and spacious and white ... ready for the year to begin. The artistic challenge today was to use something that would have been packed or flung away, so I've used one of the Christmas napkins, and a little tree decoration. I find this such a sad and maudlin thing to do, it's hard to get back into 'normal' mode. And we finish our journals tomorrow, which is both an achievement and kind of sad too....

Remember, remember!

The end is nigh, and today we had to write down all the things we need to remember for next year - mine unfortunately say quite a lot about me... Note to self, please remember that: 1. All food eaten at Christmas does still contain calories. 2. Cards will not arrive if they are not posted. 3. Christmas cake is not healthy breakfast food. 4. The things you hid in the cupboards to make the place look tidy will still be there the next time you open up the cupboard.

A perfect moment

The prompt today was to focus on one perfect moment, hard to choose as there were quite a few candidates but in the end I settled for the lovely peaceful moment of sitting back in a tidy and decorated flat with all the decs up, with all the memories they hold, lights twinkling on the new (and my first) Christmas tree... a peaceful and perfect moment indeed!

Innocence and experience

Today's prompt was to focus on innocence, and if you wish to journal your religious feelings about the season. Most of my journalling is hidden on the tag, but the main thoughts are on trying to take the seasonal thoughts of joy and peace on earth and compassion with me through the rest of the year. So here's to peace and love for the whole of the year and not just Christmas!

New Year Resolutions!

Today's prompt was about resolutions and if you make them or not. I do, though like many folk don't seem that good at keeping them, but hey ho another year and a new start! I liked Shimelle's note that you have to write down how you're going to get there and not just do unreachable goals, so I've tried that. So, what have I gone for - well my guess is they'll be pretty familiar to folk : lose weight (cut down, eat more healthily, excerise, walk, swim and gym) / budget better and save some / take better care of me! / a couple of work ones, and two that just about sum it all up: TAKE CONTROL and ORGANISE AND PLAN. Wish me luck!