What's happening 1 - 4 September?

Hi there

Yip yip – spring has sprung. I do love this time of the year. I get this uncanny urge to spring clean which is VERY strange for me as my mother-in-law would concur.

This week’s page is “Brothers” although you could make it any subject you like. Picture requirements would be:
Page 1:
9 (6 x 6). What I did was print 4 up’s and then cut them down a bit. You could also do 4 (9 x 9) if you prefer to use bigger pictures.
Page 2:
1 jumbo – cropped to (9 ½ c 9 ½)
Then there are two little fold out booklets with 3 pictures on each ie. total 6 pics. I printed 2 up’s for these and then cropped them slightly. You can just do two pictures instead of the booklet if it doesn’t take your fancy.

I’m about to put in an order for both Creative Memories and Craft-Ed so do let me know if there’s anything you’d like. I have to say the brochure does not do justice to the Craft-Ed papers which are really seriously lovely.

Rikki and I are proud and delighted to announce the arrival of our baby, Koolitz Cool Ties after a LONG and difficult labour. Viewing times will be 09h00 – 14h00 at Essenwood Market on Saturday 5th September. Donations in lieu of flowers please. (We were about to have T-shirts printed with Koolitz across the front but figured it would be just too easy to misread it as Kooltits for our liking. The name can now be found on the BACK of our T-shirts)

This unfortunately means there won’t be a workshop on the morning of Saturday 5th. Actually, neither will there be one on Thursday evening (I have a very important meeting - admittedly with friends and a bottle of wine but that still counts doesn’t it?) If you fancy a Wednesday evening, I’m happy to oblige.

Have a cool week. Remember to keep it tidy.

To end……..

A friend in Eshowe reminded me of this fabulous verse which was written by Mary Schmich and published in the Chicago Tribune in 1997 as a column which she described as a Commencement Address she would give if ever asked. It was subsequently put to music by Baz Luhrman. I just love it, so much so that I actually used the whole thing in my nieces’ 21st birthday card a couple of years back. Such great advise put across so well.. I think it would be a lovely thing to scrap. I share it here with you……

Everybody’s Free (to wear sunscreen)

If I could offer you only one tip for the future, sunscreen would
be IT.

The long term benefits of sunscreen have been proved by
scientists whereas the rest of my advise has no basis more
reliable than my own meandering experience.

I will dispense this advice now:

Enjoy the power and beauty of your youth. Never mind. You
will not understand the power and beauty of your youth until
they have faded. But trust me, in 20 years you’ll look back at
photos of yourself and recall in a way you can’t grasp now how
much possibility lay before you and how fabulous you really
looked.

You are NOT as fat as you imagine.

Don’t worry about the future, or worry, but know that worrying
is as effective as trying to solve an algebra equation by
chewing bubblegum. The real troubles in your life are apt to be
things that never crossed your worried mind; the kind that
blindside you at 4pm on some idle Tuesday.

Do one thing every day that scares you.

Sing

Don’t be reckless with other people’s hearts, don’t put up with
people who are reckless with yours.

Floss.

Don’t waste your time on jealousy, sometimes you’re ahead,
Sometimes you’re behind. The race is long, and in the end, it’s
only with yourself.

Remember compliments you receive, forget the insults, if you
succeed in doing this, tell me how.

Keep your old love letters, throw away your old bank
statements.

Stretch.

Don’t feel guilty if you don’t know what you want to do with
your life. The most interesting people I know didn’t know at 22
what they wanted to do with their lives, some of the most
interesting 40 year olds I know still don’t.

Get plenty of calcium.

Maybe you’ll marry, maybe you won’t, maybe you’ll have
children, maybe you won’t, maybe you’ll divorce at 40, maybe
you’ll dance the funky chicken on your 75th wedding
anniversary. Whatever you do, don’t congratulate yourself too
much or berate yourself either. Your choices are half chance
so are everybody else’s. Enjoy your body, use it every way
you can. Don’t be afraid of it, or what other people think of it,
it’s the greatest instrument you’ll ever own.

Dance. Even if you have nowhere to do it but in your own
living room.

Read the directions, even if you don’t follow them.

Do NOT read beauty magazines, they will only make you feel
ugly.

Get t know your parents, you never know when they’ll be
gone for good.

Be nice to your siblings, they are your best link to your past
and the people most likely to stick with you in the future.

Understand that friends come and go, but for the precious few
you should hold on. Work hard to bridge the gaps in
geography in lifestyle because the older you get, the more you
need the people you knew when you were young.

Live in New York City once, but leave before it makes you
hard; live in Northern California once, but leave before it
makes you soft.

Travel.

Accept certain inalienable truths: prices will rise, politicians will
philander, you too will get old and when you do you’ll
fantasize that when you were young prices were reasonable,
politicians were noble and children respected their elders.

Respect your elders.

Don’t expect anyone else to support you. Maybe you have a
trust fund, maybe you’ll have a wealthy spouse, but you never
know when either one might run out.

Don’t mess too much with your hair, or by the time you’re 40, it
will look 85.

Be careful whose advice you buy, but be patient with those
who supply it. Advice is a form of nostalgia, dispensing it is a
way of fishing the past from the disposal, wiping it off, painting
over the ugly parts and recycling it for more than it’s worth.

But trust me on the sunscreen.

(Mary Schmich)

I forgot.......

Me again…. Hello ..….

I tried to loose a kilo this week but instead I think I lost my mind - I completely forgot to mention in my news letter the fabulous new Craft-Ed products that have been released! To DIE for doll!
I’m loving the new Citrus Range and the embellishments are just too fabulous. And have a look at the La Crème range – black and cream – just stunning.
The paper packs are excellent value for money. There are usually three of each paper so lots to play around with and little chance or running out. And I can highly recommend the Card Stock Stacks – very handy to have on hand – excellent quality and great colours.
Go to www.craft-ed.co.za, then to “Buy the Latest Scrapbook Products” and then “New Arrivals” which comes in a pdf format. And while you’re at it, have a trawl around all the other amazing products on offer. I just love the photo albums which I think are fantastic value for money and of the highest quality. Craft-Ed is just getting more and more exciting as it expands its range.
Phone (082 804 7970) or email me (info@scrapbookjunction.co.za) if anything takes your fancy.
And have a splendid weekend.
Best regards

24 - 29 August 2009

Well hi there girls
I had an epiphany, or a rush of blood to the head, or a light bulb moment or whatever you wish to call it. I thought: why not post my weekly email to my sadly neglected blog? That way you have the choice of accessing it via email OR the blog. Then you can read it twice! So hence forth, that's where you'll find it as well as in your inbox.
This week's page is "Celebrate Life". It comes in kit form and the photo requirements are:
1 jumbo portrait
3 (9.5 x 9) cm pics.
Then there are 3 flaps that fold out to about 40 cm each in which you can put a wonderful array of photo's, journaling, quotes, memorabilia or what have you. The pictures cannot be higher than 9 cm otherwise they'll peek out and ruin the aesthetics of the page. If you're one of those scrappers who does not like their page being pulled out of the sleeve then I don't recommend you use all three flaps. If you do 1, you can slit the sleeve but all 3 would make the sleeve fall apart. "Celebrate" is a great theme that allows for such scope in your choice of photos. Book your spot now.
I've just been to collect some lovely new papers. I have a stunning array of the Fab Scraps papers and equally stunning Tracy Shimper papers. I have to say the local papers are just so great these days and I do like to support the local market. And weep no more: I have LOADS of our favourite Treasures Deep Brown back in stock. Honestly, I cannot LIVE without this colour.

Art from the Heart are running a Scrapbook Layout Competition: the challenge is to create an original double page layout using at least 3 AFTH papers and 1 AFTH embellishment sheet. The prize is an Art from the heart hamper as well as the opportunity to join the Scrapkits.co.za design team. See in store for entry forms (or to be grammatically correct in this case - "in studio".
I got a message from Scruffy. He was quite overwhelmed at the over 40 phone calls his foster mom received with offers to take him in. He asked me to convey his thanks and appreciation for all the offers of a loving new home. He tells me he's very happy in his new home and is showered with love and attention. So there we are: happy ending for Scruf.
Rikki on the other hand was devastated that there were no phone calls for her Power Vibe 250. So we're trying a new sales pitch:
"Hi, my name is Scruffy II Vibe 250 and my slack fat as#$@d lazy owner doesn't want me any more. I require no feeding, walking or love and affection. In return for a spot in your lounge/bedroom/garden shed I endevour to change the shape of your body.... yadda yadda." There. I admit it doesn't tug at the heart string in quite the same way Scruffy I did. Still, give Rikki a ring on 082 376 7210 if you're interested.
I went up to Gilletts today and to be honest, I thought I'd been tele-transported to the UK in November. Talk about chilly! Brrrr. Anyway, it beats that wind which was making me quite psychotic and seriously freaking me OUT!. I suppose next I'll be winging about the heat.... there's just no pleasing me....
To end, I Quote: Expecting life to treat you well because you're a good person is like expecting an angry bull not to charge you because you're a vegetarian.
And on that thought provoking note, I wish you a happy week and many happy scrapping hours.
Alison

It Could Have Been Worse

Well, here we are, three weeks after our home invasion and still kicking. Still grateful to be alive and unharmed. Although psycologically I feel OK, I sadly no longer see my home as my little safe sanctury in the chaos that surrounds us.
Nothing however has stopped the scrapping! I'm loving the Craft Ed products. As you know, I'm also a For Ever Memories (remember Creative Memories?) consultant and they have just launched a 12 x 12 circle cutter to compliment their existing cutting system. How fab is that! There is also a niftly 12 x 12 mat that goes with it.
I was going to take some pics to post onto my blog but sadly I'm no longer the proud owner of my fabulous Canon E450 camera. This now belongs to someone who probably paid tuppence for it. Keep an eye out - as soon as I have a new camera I'll pop a few pics on.
I'm still trying to wrap my head around the fact that we're into August already.... another year where I'm not going to accomplish nearly HALF of what I set out to do....