WOYWW - Can you say active?

 Good morning all! It is cold and very misty in Boksburg, but who cares? I am on holiday!! I can stay snug in my little bed untill it is warmer and read my book. or I could get up, make coffe and start playing in my play room, as long as I don't have to clean firs, all is OK! My desk is still looking like a war zone and there is no sign that its going to get any better, I am having way too much fun. In fact, Ihave had so much fun, I am finding it difficult to find enough clear space to work. LOL

  No worries, I will just pick up and spill over to the lolunge, there is still lots of space on the couch. As you can see, I had to move to put all the cards I made into baggies. Those of you that have very sharp eyes will spot my new Gina K StampTV kit that arrived yesterday on my desk as well as some lovely new goodies I discovered in my basket when I went to buy small baggies for the smaller cards I made. Nasty habit these things have of jumping into the basket when no one is looking.

 I did have to play with my new stamps too and this is what I did. I was inspired ny a video on Stamp TV to make my own background paper and I must say, I really like the result. It still needs some work, but I like where its going.

Apart from making loads of cards, I have also knitted a jersey for the new member of our family, a doll called Angela. Julia, our leader at WOYWW was one of many fooled by the picture I put on Facebook of my 'new' grandchild. She looks so real, it is actually quite freaky. I also found the softest fabric in the local store and just had to have it, I made blankies for all my grandies and apparently they all love theirs and Liam even took his to school this morning..1 Sorry, no pics, they were claimed as soon as the sewing machine stopped working. LOL
Hope you all have a wonderful productive week, I am climbing back in bed with my coffee and my book right now.

WOYWW - Loving my holiday crafting time!

Good morning to all the wonderful people from WOYWW and all other visitors from everywhere. Firstly I would like to say thank you for all the wonderful Birthday wishes. I had possibly the best birthday, ever! DH gave me a Silhouette Cameo and then, when we got it home and hooked up he decided the old computer was just too old and promptly went out to buy me a new computer too! Am I lucky or what? The girls at school spoilt me with good wishes and a LOT of chocolate. My DS sent me the most wonderful flowers to school and when I got home, there was flowers from DD1 and 2 too! DD3 came home on Sunday from the National water polo tournament with the promised National colours (she left me a card before she went, telling me that she hopes to bring me home National colours) I am so very proud of her for keeping at it for 12 years and never giving up on her dream.

OK, now I am getting to the desk. As you can see, I have had a bit of a creative frenzie. It looks like a bomb went off in there. LOL I am so happy to be on holiday and to have time to craft, I am definately not stopping to clean untill it becomes life threatening. 

Some of the results of the frenzie. Some 3inch cards made from scraps of left over Graphics 45 Secret Garden paperpack.

I used two of the Spellbinders die cuts to make the mats, quite like how they turned out.

And of course, I had to play with my Silhouette! I have made paper dolls for the grandies and a lot of cards (30 is a lot, isn't it?) All the toppers on these cards were printed and then cut out with that clever toy, LOVE, love, love it!

All papers and ribbons are from my stash.
Have a great week everybody, I am off to play and I promise solemly that I will visit this week, because I am on holiday, so I have time.

WOYWW - Its my birthday!

Good morning to all of you. Today is my Birthday and it is shaping up to be a great day! First I found the most beautiful card in my playroom last night, left for me by DD3 before she left to go to SA Water polo yesterday morning. Such beautiful, heartfelt words. I was all weepy. At 5 this morning I got a message from DD1 with my beautiful grandie(2) singing Happy Birthday to ouma. DH has given me a Silouette and DD2 delivered 60 of her beautiful cupcakes for me to take to school last night.  Am I blessed or what?

My desk looks like a war zone, I finished two cards last night, but I have no idea how it is possible to use so much on only two cards. If you still don't know why I am posting photo's of my desk, you must be living somewhere under a rock, but please visit Julia and all will be revealed.

Seeing that it is my birthday, I thought I would share my latest school photo (I hate photo's, but this is a special one) My grandie and I go to the same school and she came to fetch me on photo day and insisted that we have a family photo. How special is this photo? We were laughing because the photographer asked her if  I was her sister.

This is one of the cards that caused the devastation on my desk.  Paper is Bazzil and Upikit. The ribbon and flowers from my stash and the image is a Magnolia stamp coloured with my beloved Copic markers.

 This is a really long post, but I could not leave you without photo's from the camp I went to last week. I did not have to do the flying Fox in the end, because there was an electric storm and it was too dangerous (can you hear the relief in my voice? LOL) I just had to share this photo with you all. This just about sums up what we were all thinking when we were confronted with that tower we had to climb.

 And here is just one of over 2000 photo's of the girls actually climbing that dreaded tower. As always they made me so very proud and not a single one of them did not manage to climb the tower with the help of a friend. I just wish I could show you the beaming faces when they came down and realised they did something they never thought they could. It is times like this that I remember why I became a teacher in the first place and why I still love my job 35 years later.

Have a fantastic week and remember to do something you never thought you could at least once this year.

WOYWW - I have gone stark raving mad!

Good morning all you wonderful people from WOYWW and everybody else. As you alll know, I am in the middle of the bush on camp with my girls from school.
I have been trying to upload some photo's of the venue for you, but my Android is having none of it. It could be because  the signal is very weak over here too. I will try again later.
Thought I would tell you about my moment of insanity though. The girls had to try rock climbing and one of them was very scared and started sobbing. I had a word with her and told her I would do the Flying Fox today if she could pluck up the courage to try the rock climbing. The Flying Fox is where they have to climb a 10m high tower and jump down and grab a trapeze. All of this while in a harnass (thank goodness!) So, dear friends, say a little prayer for me today after you picked yourself up from the floor laughing. The girls are all very excited about seeing me jump off that tower.
Hopefully I will be able to upload photo's later.

WOYWW - I am still here, hanging on for dear life!

Did you miss me? I missed you guys a lot, but life seems to be running away with me at the moment and blogging comes a good second to catching up on some sleep, so please forgive the long absence. As you can see, the desk has been very neglected too. Everything just gets dumped there and nothing much is happening in there either. You all and my beloved happy place have been temporarily pushed aside for this desk you see below. It feels like I have been doing nothing other than school work for the last couple of weeks.

 Essay after essay, test after test, worksheet after worksheet, book report after book report. I am even starting to dream that I am marking!!

 I did make some cards. It was a dear friend's birthday on Sunday and we spent the day with them on the Vaal. I could not arrive empty handed, now could I? A quick set of boxed cards was all I had time for. She loved them, so I am very happy
On a personal front a lot has happened too.
Tiani went for a MRI and there is NO SIGN of the tumour on her little brain. We are praising God every day for the miracle he performed in her life. Chevaunne, the girl that was bitten by  the snake, is back at school and the skin graft seems to have taken. Sadly one of my homeroom girls' mother was diagnosed with brain cancer and we found out yesterday that she will be parylised as a result of the op. Please pray for her and her family.
My own little grandie (6) is having the cataract removed from her eye on the 16th of April. She is one of three patients the dr. has seen in his career with such a big cataract at such a young age. We are praying for yet another miracle - that she will be able to see out of her right eye for the first time in her life.
Next week Tuesday I am leaving to go on Leadership camp with 79 girls, looking forward to a little rest and some fun. Hope you all have a fabulous week and I really hope to visit at least some of you this week.
Ps. If you don't know what WOYWW is, go here. It  is the most fun you will ever have in blogland.

WOTWW - A weird week.

 Good morning all the wonderful friends from WOYWW (and I use the term friends, because you have all become good friends even though I have never met any of you face to face) and anybody else who happens to come for a visit. As you can see, my desk is slowly getting worse and worse - no time for cleaning between work and play you see. Did you spot the rasberry Fizzers? Love those!

 Went to a stamping get together on Saturday and had way too much fun. I also spent way too much money on things I really need (well, thats what I keep telling myself LOL) Came home and plated. I have been eyeing that poppy die for a long time and finally bought it. I am not sorry, I love it! Gave the poppies a little bit of life with my beloved Copics, added some scraps from my scrap box a little ribbon and that was all that was needed for a great card.

 My grandie was paging through some magazines and found this cool little album with instructions. How could I say no when she came to me and asked: 'Ouma. do you think we can make this?' I mean, you never, ever say no to a grandie unless it is potentially life threatening, do you? It is made from one sheet of cardstock and some patterned paper from a local company Fab Scraps. It was also an excuse to use another new die.

Thought I would show you the cake my DD made for Tiani's 2nd birthday. Such a prescious little  CANCER FREE girl!
The title of my post, you ask?
Well this has been a weird year, with many weird things happening. Chevaune's snake bite and more and then this week the tragic news of Oscar Pistorius shooting and killing his girlfriend. I pray for all the parties involved.
A friend from school is married to a teacher who teaches at one of our neighbouring schools. He went on a hike with some of the staff and some of the learners from his school and while on the hike one of the girls (15) slipped and plummeted to her death down a cliff. Please pray for him and all the people on that hike as well as for the parents of the girl. This is such a devastating thing to happen and must be the worst nightmare for any teacher.
May you all have a fantastic day and a 'weird free' week.

WOYWW - Love or hate the postie?

 Good morning to all and a special welcome to my friends from WOYWW! And what a lovely morning it is over here in South Africa. The sun is streaming into my craftroom, all tests are marked and today is gonna be a good day! ( I am depending on the power of positive thinking here ) On my desk this week there is a lot of stuff, and yes, its just random STUFF! I haven't had much time to craft and the desk was used last night to mark tests (the sacriledge! To use my happy place to mark! There should be a law against that!!!!) As you can see, I used the 'shove to the side' method to create space.

 When you live in Africa you have a love hate relationship with the postie. Sometimes things take a few days to get here from Europe, but mostly it can take anything from weeks to months. A friend recieved a card that was posted in South Africa in November only this week!
At the moment I love our postie, he brought me two pieces of happy mail yesterday. First a beautiful card and post card from the lovely Claire. I LOVE. LOVE, LOVE that card, it going in a frame for sure. Then there was a wonderful card and cross in matching box from Jo, as always, her talent just completely amazes me and it was just the right gift for the right day, I really needed a cross in my pocket yesterday.

I did manage some play time over the week end and scrapped some photo's of my littlest grandie.
Tiani is back in South Africa, looking so healthy and she celebrated her 2nd birthday on Monday. Chevaunne, the girl with the snake bite, has had her skin graft and all looks well, so it is with a full and very grateful heart that I bid you farewell this morning.
May you all have a wonderful week.