See inside my Black H'Art

for inside it is black... it is also, red and purple and blue and green and orange and all the colours of the rainbow. I am showing you my true colours.

Tuesday, October 19, 2010

Part 2: Did I answer the call...

OK, so this will be longer than yesterday.  Stay with me, won't you?
When my sister died (along time ago) amongst all her things were dozens upon dozens of notes.  Little kitschy note pads and journals and loose leaves with pretty pictures printed on them, filled with everything from heartfelt journal entries to shopping lists.  These notes and lists were so much a part of our lives. They were our lifestyle.  Notes to mum explaining where you were going and when you'd be home, remember this is in a family of 5, pre-mobile phone times.  And lists of things she shouldn't forget, and memories or feelings she wasn't ready to let go of. This was partly because of her make up and partly because of the aluminium poisoning that ravaged her memories.  But, whether it was because of her immensely strong will that she showed me everyday, or whether there is some little, tiny, microscopic piece of protein in our DNA that makes us this way, I'm afraid to say, this too is my craziness.  I am always writing things.  I have always got little books and note pads at the ready for me to store away those thoughts that I am so scared that I will lose.  I think this is also a connection to my trinket box fascination.  I feel the need, so desperately, to contain my memories, to have a place where they belong.  I have many notepads and journals of my own going back 20+ years. Some of them are artistic, some are wordy, some are childish and some are so beyond me that when I look back at them I can hardly believe it is my hand that wrote it.  Maybe this is why I keep them.  Some I decorated.  Some were bought because I thought they were so beautiful to start with that I had to have them in my collection.  So now, is this what I do?  Well it is part of it.  And probably very much part of my "scrapbooking".  The pages I have done strictly for me have little to no embellishment on them.  They are just photos with my memories written with them.  I keep these memories, maybe not so much for "them" but for myself.  Maybe one day I'll lose them and this will be the list I look back on to remind myself.
When I make a "journal" I just do the covers.  I have no intention of putting anything on the inside.  If the journal is for me, then the crisp, clean pages are just like a crisp, clean sheet pulled across a freshly made bed; it's somewhere I want to jump into, to feel safe.  I can pull the pages over my consciousness like a doona up over my ears and block out the deafening noise of all the pain around me.  I can hide my face in them, close my eyes to shut out the light from the world that burns into my mind and scorches it with it's hostility.  Those pages, scented and brittle, smooth and clean are there to shelter me from the world outside.  They will catch my tears.  But they will not betray my thoughts.  Such a promise from something heartless, breathless, unconscious.
I really like making things that are going to be used.  If someone else is to take my journal then part of this objects journey is to fill a spot in that persons day.  To take a list, or record a thought. Or be doodle in, to have an appointment scribbled on it with a shaky hand.  To give something so unfinished is to give the possibility of something greater.  Is to give the opportunity for something more.  My journals are not eclectic pages that I have created but safe places to go for the heart of who has it.

So... I had a miscarriage a couple of weeks ago.  Of course, as soon as Kev jumped on the plane.  And although it wasn't a baby that we had planned and yearned for, I can't help but feel the broken heart of someone who has lost something so connected to themselves and the promise of something so much more than themselves.  Maybe it is because I know how in love Kevin and I are with the people that we have brought into to the world, I fret for the love.  Maybe it is more the smell of a newborns head or the first gurgling smile that you wait for, gazing upon every little milky pore on their face, calling over anyone who will pause and absorb the grace of this wonderful fruit of our hearts.  I'm not sure.  I thought I was very steeled against this type of disappointment (this is the fourth baby Kevin and I have lost), and yet as my body betrays me (as always) and goes through the purging process so my heart goes through the mourning.  Maybe it's just because without Kevin's arms to cradle me and his chest for me to smother my wails and absorb my tears I feel so very, very vulnerable.  Or maybe it's just hormones.  Drugs will cure my physical ailments, time will cure my heart ache and I am strong.
I'm so so sorry, I can't bloody stand people that wah wah wah.  What a freakin' whinger, LOL!!  {Thank you to those who have let me have my vulnerable paranoid moments.  Honestly, everyday [at about the same time] I thank God for you.  xx}

Anyway, this is a box I did recently.  I felt I just had to jump on the "steampunk" bandwagon.  It really isn't my style so much.  I love the period pictures but I am much more aligned in my heart with the nature side of things than the mechanical (which is absolutely hilarious.  I know soooooo too much about machinery for my own liking!!  Bloody things rule our lives!!)

I was going to give you a bit of a run down on the hinges but, I'm not feeling quite up to it at the minute & and am sure you are completely over it too.  I will though, so stay tuned.
  
Thank you for getting to the end of this.  And I do apologise for taking up so much of your time.

Take care of each other,
see you soon!
M xx

Monday, October 18, 2010

That call was for me. Yep, it said "wake up"!!

I have had some wonderful conversations of late, with some wonderfully blessed and wise people. And it has all got me thinking. I know, that's dangerous, isn't it?!
One of these wonderful people asked me what I did. What a terrific question! So simple, so obvious and yet this question has made me lose sleep, has made me question so many things that I thought were constants in my life. It's the kind of question you can answer in a second- straight off the cuff- have it wash straight over you like water off a ducks back. Or it's the kind of question that when you go to answer, you realise you don't know the answer and trying to work it out it becomes so hard that it makes you reassess everything going on. I really liked that question!
So I am going to explain just a little bit about what I do. As it seems to me today. 
I spent quite a lot of time with my Nana when I was younger while my Mum spent a lot of time at the hospital with my older sister.  On the mantle in her kitchen she had about four old tea caddy tins.  I think this was the start of it.  That and Charlie Brown (a close relative) rolling smokes with one hand with baccy out of his little blue tin that he balanced in the hand that didn't have all his fingers.  It's so funny how some of your childhood memories can be so abstract and yet so, so, so vivid.  And so because these are two of those beautifully vivid memories I am sure that is where I got my "addiction" to tins.  I have always collected tins.  And that grew as I got older to trinket boxes and jewellery boxes and old bottles and jars.  Oh I love them.  I actually have an old Bex bottle with the label still on!!  That is one of my favourites.  So when I do my arty type thing (I'm not pretentious enough yet to call myself an artist LOL!!!  And truth be known, I don't think we can ever imbue ourselves with that title, I think it is for others to judge)  what I do is "alterations" and my favourite places to do it are on boxes and tins and books (that is for another post!).  So in case you didn't see it, I put my Wax Box on my blog a while ago, that is definitely one of my favourites.  Now, what I am showing you isn't a box, but it is still more "Meganesque" (LOL!! you-know-who) than some other things I have done lately.  It's so funny, I am NOT a gardener but I always create with leaves and flowers and all things of nature, work that out!?

This is my "Secluded Gardens" Canvas.  I am not even going to try to list some of the techniques, cause to be honest it's a mish-mash.  101 techniques on a canvas, LOL!!


Now when I say it, I don't just say it to hear myself speak (read myself type)- I say it because I sincerely hope as a world, as people in a community, as women (I don't think I have many man reading my blog, please let me know if you are a bloke reading this!), as family members, as friends that we learn to look after each other, because when we do, I believe, that is when we will make awesome things happen! So...
Take care of each other,
see you soon!
Mxx

Tuesday, October 5, 2010

I finally got a title - Phew!


Mmmmmm, gotta love the Lumiere Paints

Take care and all the rest, Mx!
Posted by Picasa

Sunday, October 3, 2010

Kraft IT Up for October

This is my effort for the Kraft-It Up October Challenge. I have used an Ikea place mat to mask those cute little love hearts and made a daisy chain from chipboard flowers and lace. I really like the way they both worked out!!
This layout was about my Mother's Day morning. I was feeling a bit down because Kev wasn't home, he usually spoils me so.  Lonely and unspoilt was the mood. However, I woke up to this beautiful sight, the big boys came through and off their own back made such a beautiful, heart felt effort.  It meant so much to me. Waking up to this beautiful sight on my bedside table; a picked flower in a cup, a necklace made in my favourite colours, a card drawn and coloured by hand and a hot cup of tea! What a wonderful day, and oh how spoilt I felt.

Take care of each other,
see you soon.
M
x
Posted by Picasa

Saturday, October 2, 2010

An Oldie but a Goodie


I think everyone has got at least one layout using up all the "spare parts" from chipboard letters or shapes or what ever is left over. I thoguht it was appropriate to use the chipboard letters for a school days layout. I mean what else can you do with royal blue uniforms?! Except the October Afternoon paper is very suitable and absolutely gorgeous!!
My little baby girl looks so grown up on her first day of kindy! Can't believe she'll be full time in just one more term- where does the time go?


Take care of each other,
see you soon!
M
x
Posted by Picasa

Friday, October 1, 2010

Happy 21st

This is a card that I made for a very dear friend of mine who turned 21 last month. I have literally known her since she was born and it has been a wonderful thing to be able to watch her grow into such a lovely young lady. Hope you had a great night Rach, love you lots! xxx
So the next step is the album to commemorate that wonderful night and all her memories of this exciting time!! Yay!!


Take care of each other,
see you soon!
M
x
Posted by Picasa

Friday, September 17, 2010

Nicknames


This months challenge at "Scrap the Boys" was about what you call your boy, what their nicknames are.  All four of my children have nicknames, so this was a great challenge for me.  We had a friend who had a wee lisp and would call Kassidy "Bashidy", which is where Kassidy got Bash from.  However, most people think it is because he is so boisterous.  Which he is!  But the flip side to Bash is his super sensitive, nurturing side.  He really is one of the most loving and affectionate little boys I have ever met.  He just has all his personality traits turned up to 11 - if he is being one of the boys, he is the loudest and most rambunctious, if he is being tender and caring he is like a little angel with light and love just glowing in him.  What an exciting person he is to have in my life.


And yes, that is paper pleating on my layout!!  Not something I do very often, as everyone knows i am too lazy!  The piece I pleated was actually the border of the round paper I have as a mat and I pleated it in order to made a straight border out of it!  Worked a treat, I think!  Sorry about the dodgy photo, for some reason I couldn't get rid of the glare of the flash today, so I had to take it with out the flash.  Hence, the slight blur.


Take care of each other,
see you soon!
M
x
Posted by Picasa

Monday, September 13, 2010

Too Much Cake. Is that even possible?

This week we are celebrating Mel-Belle's birthday, Angus's birthday, Father's Day and Mitch's Confirmation! What does this all mean?
CAKE!!
Oh my Lordy, if I have a weakness it's cake!! Oh I just love it! I have hunted down the best cake shops! I will go to extremes to get it! If there is cake in the house, I'll eat it for breakfast lunch and dinner! Thick moist mud! Light fluffy mousse! Baked cheesecake! Continental cheesecake! Hummingbird! Kugloff! Jaffa! Chocolate! Vanilla! Strawberry! Lime Brulee! With extra cream! And of course smothered in ganache! Sometimes I'll eat it just for the ganache icing!
*sigh*
Some of us have crosses to bear, addictions - monkeys on our backs! What can I do, I'm only human!
The worst thing is... I've passed my addiction onto my daughter! Poor little chunky chops...what hope does she have!!??

These flowers were made with the Cuttlebug cut and emboss die. and the ribbon was out of a Webster's ribbon pack.
These are little paper ribbon buckles cut from a Spellbinder's die. I love them, they are sooooo cute!

Well I'm off to eat all the Milky Way that is left, followed by dessert. Eclair torte! Nom nom nom!!

Take care of each other, share your cake!!
See you soon,
M
x
Posted by Picasa

Tuesday, September 7, 2010

Do more with Shrinky Dink!!

There are just a few spots left in my MYO Embellishment class on Sunday at Scraptivate. In this class I am going to be showing the super awesome trick I have found that makes Shrinky Dink so much easier to use and giving you some ideas on how to incorporate them in your art, on layouts, cards and everywhere else.
And with all your samples you get to put together a cute in tag collection. In which ever theme or colour tickles your fancy. So give the store a call of 9444 6626 to get your seat!

Take care of each other,
see you soon!
M
x
Posted by Picasa

Saturday, August 21, 2010

It needs a title

Do you ever have those days? Or weeks? Or that project that just won't get finished no matter how hard you try? Well, I have one of those. I have done the title on this layout twice already. Chipboarded, painted, stickled, sanded, the whole she-bang!! Twice the whole she-banged title has gone awry!! Maybe this is a message that I picked the wrong title? I titled it "Little Helper", feel free to let me know if you think it should something else, maybe I just got it wrong... Titles have never been my forte!
Take care of each other,
see you soon.
M
x
Posted by Picasa

Wednesday, August 11, 2010

You've got to see these flowers!

This is a layout I did recently and I have to say there is a couple of things I think worked out really well. I started with a Heidi Swapp embossed board and I layered about 100 Glimmer Mists over it and then Rub and Buff. It came up really well, probably better in real life.
These flowers are the "#1", "Star-of-the-Day", "Holy-Moly! That worked!" part of the layout I love!! They are calico cut with the Tim Holtz Tattered Flowers die. Glimmer Misted and layered up to make 3D flowers and then just arranged in a little posy!!
Mmmmm, yum!! Get ready to see these flowers around a bit more, in fact you'll know my work from one hundred paces... I can hear it now... "Oh Megan and those bloody calico tattered flowers. Is she ever gonna get over them!?" Nah! Well not until the next fantastic thing comes along, LOL!!!


Take care of each other,
see you soon.
M
x
Posted by Picasa

Monday, August 2, 2010

Not Brand New

I did these two layouts a while ago. One was for my Scrap-a-Sketch class and one was for Scraptivate DT (I think). I haven't posted them till now because I am not altogether happy with the photos I took, I get the feeling that it might have been a late night shoot!
I just never get sick of chipboard and Glimmer Mists, and although I like strong colours, this bright layout would normally not have been on my radar, but it just suits Eliza to a T.
Yep, more chipboard and Glimmer Mists. And of course LEAVES! For someone who doesn't like gardening, man, I love flowers and leaves. I still have to have a chuckle when I see this, yep I got out the corner rounder, and used it for... corner rounding! A little bit CM for my usual taste.

I love this boy soooo much. He is such a trial for me, but he is also such a treasure. I really don't think I would be here right now if it weren't for God giving him to me when he did. We are so alike, I know what he is thinking before he even gets to having the thought. He has come through for me soooo much in the last couple of months while Mum has been under the weather. While I am sooo proud of him, at the same time I am so broken hearted to see him grow up so much, I just know it brings me a step closer to when he leaves my nest to find his own way. I pray everyday that I am giving him enough of the tools he needs to be a happy, fulfilled, loving, responsible man.

Take care of each other,
see you soon.
M
x
Posted by Picasa

Wednesday, July 28, 2010

Crown Fit for an Art Queen

This is a project I recently finished after being inspired by Jenny and Mel to explore my Drama Queen side.
The Tiara is made from white Prima Flowers that I have coloured using ink and Glimmer Mists. The metal embellishments are all just assortments of brads (some Making Memories, some so old I can't quite remember). There is Twiddleybitz chipboard and some Dusty Attic chipboard some of which is covered with Angelina Film.
The wings at the side are some gorgeous vintage metal embellishments we have at Scraptivate.
Some times getting the right photo is soooo much harder than it should be. Especially when some 2-nearly-3-year-old is having fun waving his hand with a block in it in front of the camera and seeing it on the little screen. There is a reward for every challenge, 1) getting the right photo, 2) getting to see the enjoyment on his face at my inconvenience!!


Take care of each other,
see you soon!
M
Posted by Picasa

Monday, July 26, 2010

I still love embossing

It is an oldie but a goody. It has maximum impact for minimal effort. It has so many applications and so many different techniques can be dome with it. I love embossing!!
This blue flourish is cuttlebug embossing then gently wiped with the embossing ink pad (so it only hits the high points) and the gold embossing powder sprinkled and then cooked!  This is my big boy when he was about 28 months old (he's turning 12 this year!).
The close up of the butterfly shows the effect of stamping in to UTEE. I used TA Glimmer Mist on the naked chipboard butterflies, then covered them in embossing ink sprinkled UTEE on them and cooked it. While it was molten I add more UTEE and cooked it until the butterfly had a really nice thick layer. Then on the last round, again, while the UTEE was still molten I pressed into it with a rubber stamp that I had inked up with the Stazon Metallic Gold Ink. Another thing that I love! MMmmmmmmmm Stazon Metallics... Yum!
I don't usually complain, but I must say that I don't think the colours in this have shown up pretty badly, maybe a look IRL would be better. Feel free to drop by the store and have a look sometime!!
Take care of each other,
see you soon.
M
Posted by Picasa

Sunday, July 11, 2010

DT Challenges 1 and 2

Well this has been a week of DT challenges. Firstly, my DT challenge for Scraptivate.
This is a Kaiser Trinket Box.  I have used the Krafty Lady moulds for the bust and wings and I have poured them with... BEESWAX!!
I was also given, as part of the the DT pack, some Collections chipboard labels and some of the new Scraptivate Embossed Borders and Trims (German Scrap).
The rest is Basic Grey papers, stamps, paint, Tim Holtz Tissue Tape, Beeswax and Treasure Gold.  I think that is it.  Sometimes it's hard to tell what I've used.  When I'm in the creative flow I don't keep a list and I don't take a mental note, because I just add texture and colour until I feel it is ready.  My bad!

I have also been one of the first two ladies to do a layout and card to help with the Camp Mojo Challenge.  If you wold like to see what I did and the sketch that we were given, just pop over to the Camp Mojo site and have a look.  Sandra Staples has also done an awesome layout and card so have a look at the ideas that are floating around out there.  Must say it was a bit stressful, being first to do up a sample, the pressure was on.  I loved the challenge though and I can't wait to go to camp and see all those awesomely talented ladies with all those awesome ideas bouncing around.
Please feel free to leave a comment and let me know what you think, or just say "Hi".  It's nice to know you're out there!

Take care of each other,
see you soon.
M