Changes and Challenges

For months I have been searching for a new challenge, be it in the form of full time employment, an entrepreneurial start up business or a charity. 

After a few twists and desperate turns and going down the odd dead-end street, I have finally arrived at a decision.

My newest adventure combines three things I love.   Scrapbooking.  Children.  Sharing my knowledge and helping others.

It all started with my little 9 year old friend Kerin, taking an interest in my scrapbooking hobby.  When she visits our home, she loves to look at my albums and is in awe of all my tools and what they can create using paper, some glue and a bit of imagination.

For her birthday last year I made up a starter pack for her and she sent me gorgeous photographs of her own layouts that she has created.

A few weeks ago, I had a chat with her Mommy and I realised that no-one is taking an active interest in teaching young people the wonderful art of Scrapbooking.

I set out to put a concept together, sourced the best suppliers and am now ready to start teaching Gruvy Kids how to capture their photographs and memories, to look differently at special occasions, memorising as much as they can, so that later it could all be captured with paper.

Scrapbooking enhances the fine motor skills - co-ordination of small muscle movements which occur in body parts such as the fingers, usually in co-ordination with the eyes.

Each layout requires a bit of journalling - short written description of the photographs being "scrapped".  With this I hope to re-ignite poetry and short story writing in young minds, remembering everything that made that day, holiday or party great.

I teach small fingers to cut accurately with scissors and craft knives, they experience textures and colours, all of which stimulates the left brain functions.  I teach them to plan and work in an orderly manner and we go as far as planning the photographs and editing before printing.

Once you are a scrapper you can use your craft to make your own special occasion cards, and sometimes the card means more than the gift if it's personalised and made with love.

My classes are based in the northern suburbs of Johannesburg, I prefer to have a minimum of 10 students per session and can accommodate up to 40 students.  A session can be customised to the age group, for example shorter classes for the younger groups and less detailed layouts.

Each student is provided with a kit at each lesson, and each lesson we incorporate a new technique.  I also supply the starter kits - basic cutting mats, craft knives, glue - for those students starting from scratch.

For now I am flexible and will travel to schools offering my program as part of their extramural/after care activity.

For more information, please do not hesitate to contact me. I am hoping to have news of the first classes published here soon.

Watch this space!

Way overdue (",)

Since my last blog entry, spring has changed into the most glorious summer and my little bird has spread his wings and learnt to fly.
This of course has left me in a bit of a tizz.  Can one's identity and purpose be locked up in that one single role in life?
Being a Mom has been the most satisfying journey, and I have had plenty of photographs to "scrap" documenting every step of my son's adventure through school and life. But today, sitting here reflecting on my life, I realise that I need to step back out into the world and grab every opportunity I can, to create new memories of my own.
The last 10 months flew past and finally as he is about to start his studies at University, I have slowly but surely gathered bits and pieces of myself and am ready to start my own new journey.

I read something the other day that has stuck in the back of my mind, and I do believe applies to me today, it read "Every story has to start somewhere" and I believe my new story starts here.

I am 46 years "young" act and feel like a twenty something year old and have far too much to offer than sitting back and watching the world go by.  I have so much that I still want to do, explore, read, make, experience and it starts now today!

I am venturing back into the world, searching for that perfect contract or career option that would lead me to meeting new people, challenging my creative intellect, pondering over budgets and cost proposals, but most of all, the satisfaction one feels upon the successful completion of tasks and meeting happy new people.

Ultimately, make new memories, capture new moments, watch new sunrises and spread my wings and soar as high as I can fly!

My favorite things

"When the dog bites, when the bee stings,
when I'm feeling sad,
I simply remember my favorite things,
and then I don't feel so bad."

 And what better time than the promise of new beginnings and the colours of spring to remind me of my favorite things!

The promise of spring, yet another promise from God that there will always be the a new beginning, filled with the promise of colour, joy and fruitfulness after a dead, grey cold winter!

Spring is most certainly one of my favorite things.  I love the colours of spring - it inspires me to be creative, to look for new challenges.  I love the weather that is clean, fresh and bright.  I love dining el fresco with the aroma of freshly cut grass in the air and the sounds of crickets as they sing their songs of joy after a sunny day.

I love pink, pink champagne, pink and mauve sunsets, pink cup cakes, pink spring blossoms.  I love bright blue skies, and lime green leaves, and white fluffy clouds, and I love how it all inspires me to be creative, inspired by the colours of nature to capture precious moments caught on camera and I love the fact that I am able to reach for my tools and start to create something that will tell the story of me when I am no longer here. 

Hopefully this week ahead will be filled with favorite things, re-births and new beginnings and lots and lots of pink moments!

Scented Breeze

"The truth is that our finest moments are most likely to occur when we are feeling deeply uncomfortable, unhappy, or unfulfilled. For it is only in such moments, propelled by our discomfort, that we are likely to step out of our ruts and start searching for different ways or truer answers."

I am trying to find the significance in this quote....  It rings true in many ways, but I wonder how many people have the strength of character to be able to stand up and create a "finest moment" when life has been dealing them a dud hand over and over again.

How does one stand up, when it becomes easier to just stay down, and out of harms way?  What is the deciding moment to step up out of a rut, dust yourself off and embark on fulfilling your finest moment?

Interesting thoughts have been provoked and I am curious to see what my finest moment will be.  When it will be and what will bring it about.

Could it be the re-birth of a new career at the age of 45?  Could it be a new business venture, one so successful one might forget that there was a stage in your life when you were worried and felt useless and lonely and living without a purpose.

All I know is that nature is awakening outside in my garden.  The breeze carries the aroma of pink blossoms and in my heart I can feel the awakening of enthusiasm and hope and I know that soon I will be soaring again!

Hope there is a beautiful reason to live, a scented breeze or a warm comforting fireplace to hold you comfortable and propel you to live your best possible present life!
 

Soo little time and so much to do, or soo little to do with soo much time.

The problem I am currently facing is multi faceted. 

I am in a rut.  I am in a rut because.... I am feeling lost.  I am lost because my life's purpose has turned 18 yesterday and at the age of 45 I just can't find any other purpose beyond being a MOM.  My husband I support with my love and cooking :)

But somehow being a Mom is the only thing in life that had tangible rewards.  Don't get me wrong.  My marriage is a reward, I share my life with a wonderful, loving man, and it's a partnership for life.  Being a Mom made me feel as though I contributed to something bigger, the moulding of another human being and soon that won't be my doing any longer... perhaps it hasn't been for a while already :)

Is this a mid life crisis?  Could it be an "empty nest syndrome"?.  Could it be that I am facing a few storms in my life and feel helpless as it's too big for me to be able to make any difference?

All I know is that I wake up every morning with the best intentions to declutter my home, and as all the self help TV shows, Oprah, and books tell you, your life will soon be sparkling clear... But I don't get that far, so I don't know if it would be true...

I also have every intention to finish the money earning project I embarked on 6 weeks ago, but somehow just can't find the time for that in my very empty days.

I keep promising myself that I will soon start my scrap booking again... but I just walk past my desk and..... turn away.

I have a few books that have been sitting in my bed side table, eagerly waiting to tell me their stories... but somehow it's easier to crawl into bed after an uneventful day and fall asleep with the mindless droning of the TV in the background....

At least I have accomplished one thing today.... I have finally updated my blog :)

Not feeling well... but never too ill to do some scrapbooking

Today I am slowly starting to feel better after a horrible experience with Pancreatitis. 

It's something I managed to damage in late 2009 when I tried to loose a few kilograms and used a new slimming tablet.....

But enough of tales of woe...

So back to this morning.  I was listlessly sorting through my scrap booking goodies when I thought to browse through one of my favorite web sites - Scrapbooking Challenges -  I was also reminded that I still have to complete a task that I started last year already, called the ABC of me...

Sooo with time, tasks and enthusiasm on my side, I managed to complete a page.  The first one for myself in a long time.  It's titled "I am Ticklish"  The photo was taken last year with my son and husband, and the two of them tickled me while the photograph was taken.  I am fond of this photograph as it immediately transforms me to a happy place.

And leaving you with the wise words of Charlie Chaplin.....  "A day without laughter is a day wasted"

Autumn in Johannesburg

The brush of Autumn has been busy, changing my landscape from bright greens, lush pinks and purples, to the crisp, crinkly colours of burnt orange, golden yellow and shades of brown.  The morning breeze is fresh and stings my cheeks, and at nigh the warmth of the day quickly disappears into the chilly early dark evenings, making snuggling deep under the covers a must!

With autumn all around me, I was inspired by the autumn colours for my next layout for Monica's travel album.  The layout is one of Jowilna Nolte's -  I managed to attend one of her classes a month ago, and love the simplicity of the layout, which gives scrappers like me a good foundation to build a new layout on, exploring my creativity with the selection of papers and patterns and other finishes I used to complete this layout.

Monica was lucky enough to be in Monaco - July 2011 - while the city was preparing the city for the wedding of Prince Albert and our other famous Benoni girl, Charlene.  It's quite fantastic to see the South African flag dancing on the soft breeze alongside the flags of Monaco.

This page captures Monica sipping strawberry daiquiris with Natasha in front of the Casino Royale, while the rich and famous play all around them in their Italian sports cars. 

I made flowers, cut from my Cricut machine to embellish the lower left hand corner..

...and the rest of the layout I used a few pearls and buttons to compliment the layout.  The paper in this layout was my inspiration and hero..  

A clean crisp layout... lets see what I get up to next.

Take care and remember to get all the winter woolies ready, Winter is not far off.