SALE!!!!

BLACK FRIDAY they call it in the U.S. It's the day after Thanksgiving Day and it is one of the biggest days for SALES!

ScrappinOutLoud is having a store-wide sale.

Zesty Digi Designs will be 35% off!!

Don't miss out!!

One door closes, another opens

This week, after weeks of frustration and stress, Studio Style Designs and I have called it quits. It just didn't work for us - on either side! I was sad to leave because SSD gave me the opening I needed when I began digital scrapbook designing.

Then - like the saying goes "when one door closes, another opens" - and it has!!

Scrappin Out Loud (http://scrappinoutloud.com) had a Designer Call and I applied. I was accepted and I've been busy uploading my products to their online shop. Yay!!!!

Now the second photobook of my trip is finished (today!) I will be back into designing - and I can't wait!

With great sadness

This past week has been so sad. My dear Mum passed away on November 11 - Remembrance Day.

My daughter and I flew to Brisbane for her Thanksgiving Service which was on Saturday morning. Although we were only there for four days we packed quite a lot in but it was a very emotional and draining few days.

I think it is the 'attitude of gratitude' that will get us through our grief and the pain of our loss.

My Mother was 94 years of age. She lived alone and did most things for herself. Although she had commented regularly on her increasing tiredness during the past few months, she was in surprisingly good health for her years. She had all her faculties and she was delighted when she managed to crack a cryptic crossword. She kept her hands busy with knitting, tatting and crochet. She read avidly. She liked to walk when the weather was fine and generally walked to the shops for her lighter grocery items. She did not want to have to go into nursing care, but she hoped to stay in her own home.

Two weeks ago she had surgery to remove a small tumour following some tests. I am so glad that she did because she probably would have had a much slower and definitely more painful time prior to death if she hadn't. The day before she died she had a full CT scan which revealed the cancer had spread. I am glad the doctor didn't tell her. Although she appeared to be recovering quite well from the surgery, in the last couple of days there was a decline and in the final twelve hours, she deteriorated rapidly, so her death was quick and it came as a shock to us.

We have so much to be grateful for though - all that I have mentioned above - and above all, that she had a deep and profound faith in God. She was ready to 'go home'.

She was a quiet, reserved lady who liked to do things in the background to help others. She spent much time in prayer for others. She loved her family dearly. She missed her friends who had gone from her life in these later years. She lived 'one day at a time' - a great philosophy.

I am going to miss her dearly but I will look forward to the day we meet again in that place Jesus has prepared for those who believe in him. I loved my Mum.

Photobook progress

In spite of hurting my back and being 'out of action' for most of the week, I have managed to make some progress on my next photobook.

I am up to page 41 now. Yesterday I did quite a section on Prince Edward Island and now I'm working on the Cabot Trail on Cape Breton Island. I think another couple of pages will complete that bit. After that, I have the rest of our time in Nova Scotia to do and then it will be back to the mainland and the journey back.

My Oregon book should almost be leaving the U.S. in the post, I reckon. It should have been back from the printer's last week.

I'm hoping it looks really good because it takes soooo much time to do a whole book of almost 60 pages!

Well, that's it for now...I have to get back to the Cabot Trail...LOL!

Celebration Paper Collection

This is the preview of my new Let's Celebrate! paper collection. I'm really pleased with the way these papers turned out.

November already

Well I have no idea where October went...just that somewhere in the past couple of weeks, I had a birthday, so it mustn't have just disappeared off the calendar!

To tell the truth, I have been extremely busy. I have been trying to do digital photo albums of my trip overseas. One is finished - OUR OREGON TRAIL - and I'm now into the second one. I am trying to meet a deadline so that I can use photobook links which I had purchased a while back before the company changed names. (I'm not sure the company changed anything else much and now they have imposed a 'use by' date on photobooks which I'd bought and hoped to use over a much longer time than what is now available to me. Hence the rush is on! (And that's not to delve into the details of the extra charges they are now slapping on, on top for preparation and processing, packing and shipping - the latter was included in the original price but now an extra lot is being charged. I can't believe it, but I have coupons to use and I'm going to use up as much as I can before the end of this month and then I'm going to find somewhere else that operates in a more 'up front and reasonable' manner and charges within the realm of affordability while offering top quality.)

Amongst all of that, I have added some new product to the digi stores I sell at and have some extra things in the pipeline. I am starting to think of my Christmas kit and I'll start work on that when I need a break from this photo album.

Add to that some back problems again and you'll have the picture of what life is like here!

Anyway, I just thought it was time to pick up the thread again and not let this poor blog lapse any longer.