First Card for a while!

I made this tonight - a card for my sister's birthday. It is a bit late, but better late than never, right? I'm not sure why it has taken so long to get back to making stuff!! I've been guilty of running round after everyone else and haven't given myself time. So tonight I decided the ironing could wait, the dishes could wait and tomrrow's school lunches could wait as well - Cindy need to get back into creating :-), and it feels good.
The card is made from some lucious Basic Grey papers i bought today. I love the colours, they are kind of grungy and also old fashioned, pretty groovy.

Where has the year gone?

I'm feeling a bit guilty about my poor wee blog. Can't believe I haven't updated since February - I wish I could say it was because I have been doing wildly wonderful things - but sadly that isn't the case. I've just let day to day 'stuff' get in the way and some how got lost in it all.

Anyway, i have a week off work this week with my youngest and have promised myself some blogging time and some crafty time.

I found this blog today - Graceful Creative and I really like what I have seen so far. She has this 'challenge' on her blog Edit, Add, Appreciate
Edit one thing--material objects, negative thoughts, bad habits, or activities that don't reflect who you are as a person. It doesn't have to be a physical thing; Sometimes bad habits and negative thoughts are more detrimental than physical clutter.
Add something. Bring in something or reinvent one thing in your life--thoughts, habits, activities, clothing, objects...Add something that will help you be a better person; And yes, sometimes a new pair of jeans can help!
Appreciate something or someone already in your life. Hug your children and tell them how special they are. Call your spouse, just because. Be extra polite to the guy who makes your latte. Frame that favorite piece of art.

I really like the simplicity of this and think it might be what I need just now. So this week I am going to:
Edit - some clutter, starting with my work table which is stopping my creativity from flowing
Add - one on one time with each of my children - no distractions, no interruptions, just us
Appreciate -take time to appreciate the change of seasons (autumn has made itself known in NZ), it is my favourite time of year and I don't want to let it go by without acknowledging it. Crunching leaves, kicking leaves, just enjoying the smells and colours of the season.

I've been tagged

I have been tagged by pinkpuppy to a photo challenge and this is what I have to do:
1) Go to the 6th photo folder saved on my PC (or not if you file them in a different way)
2) Choose the 6th photo stored and upload to to your blog.
3) Write something about the picture.
4) Then tag 6 new people to join this challenge....
The picture is of H meeting Richie Macaw, the All Black captain. The company I work for sponsors Canterbury rugby and some of the players visited work as part of the sponsorship. H was lucky enough to be able to come along and meet them and get some autographs. An awesome opportunity for a rugby mad kid, who by the way will be captain of the All Blacks one day! (The date on it is wrong - camera was being temperamental. It was April 2007)


I tag:

Creative makes

Sequin

TwiggyPeasticks

The Owl House

(I know that is only four - but a lot of others have been tagged already - I'll add some more later)

On holiday

I have been on holiday this week on the wild west coast of the South Island. We went to one of my favourite spots in the whole country today - Punakaiki - to watch the blowholes. We timed the tide just right and were rewarded with a fabulous display.

As I haven't been at home I have been taking lots of photos as part of being Creative Everyday.

Creative Everyday

Blog hopping this morning I found this inspirational blog about being creative everyday. Now my goals for the year are to improve my fitness and do more creative activities. My fitness is coming along - I have built a good habit over the last few weeks which I know I can continue so that leaves creativity, which I've struggled with because I jut can't 'make' something everyday as my other big passion - my children - take up time as well. The Creative Everyday idea is low-pressured with the aim of bringing more creativity into peoples lives. To quote the blog:

Creativity is meant in the broadest sense, so it doesn't have to be something art related. Your creative acts could be in cooking, taking pictures, knitting, doodling, writing, dancing, decorating, singing, playing with your kids, brainstorming ideas, gardening, or making art in the form of collage, paint, or clay...or whatever!

Easy - we can all do something in that list.

Anyway my creativity today is cooking - or should I say baking. I made this gorgeous loaf of focaccia for lunch. It looks pretty good, and tastes even better than it looks :-) Yum!

Go on over and have a look - you might find something inspiring as well - oh and there are challenges and themes to help things along.

Exciting times we live in

What an amazing day. I am really looking forward to seeing how this man changes the face of America. He is a very charismatic man who speaks to the hearts of so many people.
"My fellow citizens: I stand here today humbled by the task before us, grateful for the trust you have bestowed, mindful of the sacrifices borne by our ancestors."......
"On this day, we gather because we have chosen hope over fear, unity of purpose over conflict and discord.
On this day, we come to proclaim an end to the petty grievances and false promises, the recriminations and worn-out dogmas that for far too long have strangled our politics.
We remain a young nation, but in the words of Scripture, the time has come to set aside childish things. The time has come to reaffirm our enduring spirit; to choose our better history; to carry forward that precious gift, that noble idea, passed on from generation to generation: the God-given promise that all are equal, all are free, and all deserve a chance to pursue their full measure of happiness."
These two passages are the two that have stayed with me today. I sincerely hope that this man can deliver on the promise he has shown.

That's a bit of a departure from my usual blogging :-) back to normal tomorrow!

Blog candy

Crafty Makes: Blog Candy Kim at Crafty Makes has been announced Papercrafter of the year at Papercrafts Essentials. Now I'm a new fan of Kims but from what I've seen this gal is well deserving of her award! Go and have a look - she's got candy for you too! I'm sure you'll find some inspiration as well