IMAGINE ....

• DDCC: Mothers Day Card
• CCT: No.57 - Getting Edgy
• OSCC: No.26 - Something New
• OCC: Color Challenge - our own favourite colour combo

Once again I am trying to get some of my future Dutch Dare design team challenges done and dusted. I made this card for the Mother's Day card challenge in May. I have used my deckle scissors again for the edging around the main image. This colour combo is also one of my favourite ... love how well the pink and mustard colours gel so nicely.

It probably does not look like it, but this card nearly took me the whole of yesterday to create. I tried a brand new technique which I spotted in a card making book (see pic with tools below) I received from my dear friend Belinda. It is called the Iris fold technique or Eastern Flowers technique. The card making fundi's out there will probably know this technique which can be seen here inside the oval shape. It was time consuming, but actually quite therapeutic cutting, folding and layering the different folded patterned papers over a template which I copied from the book. So be prepared for perhaps some future card designs over here containing this newly found technique.

Me and hubby had another yoga session yesterday and actually enjoyed it much more than the previous class which had loads of head stands. I am much more sore and stiff this time, especially the underside of my upper arms. I could not stop giggling in the class, after hubby muttered something in the line of that he never has to stretch again in his lifetime after the specific stretch we did which was more or less lying on your back folding your knees into your chest and underneath the armpits i.e. its like lying with your fanny in the air. Off to another class tomorrow afternoon.

Its another public holiday here in South Africa tomorrow (27 April), so I will probably just hover around my studio.

Thanks again for taking the time to pop in here and for all your much appreciated comments.

Hugs from Desíre

FRIENDSHIP

{DDCC Design Team Project: A sketch}

{ ... also entered for CCT: Getting Edgy / OSCC: Decorative Cuts }

Once again, I am just a small step ahead of my DDCC design team challenge projects. The challenge for next week Thursday is a gorgeously versatile sketch by Tamara. I just loved working with all these layers.

I know you all are probably reaching for those shades right now, trying to neutralise the sudden brightness, but it was a pleasant change working with these bright and happy Basic Grey cardstocks. The touches of black check pattern are from a sheet of Making Memories foiled cardstock which was cut up just to get hold of the check part of the design. The flowers were once again created with my Fold-it Swirls template, using the Buttercup design. The frame around the image, the sentiment and the photo turns are some 3D embellishments I had in my stash. The white swirls and photo corner are rub-ons from Scrapbook King, a local rub-on supplier here in South Africa. I also used two different decorative scissors, sand papered quite a few paper edges and distressed the edges of the flowers and some cardstocks with fluid chalk ink.

Please do visit these challenge blogs to feast your eyes on the beautiful creations of the talented Design Teams. Thanks once again for stopping by and for all your lovely comments. Wishing all a fabulous weekend.

"LIFE is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans." - John Lennon

{Dutch Dare DT Project}

22 April 2008 {Voting Day & Public Holiday here in South Africa}

This week's design team project over at Dutch Dare Card Challenge is to create a little scene. So I thought it apt to have a flock of guinea fowl wondering through the veld nibbling on some grasses around an an aloe tree. Two stamps were combined to create the scene. Once again my favourite Basic Grey cardstock and H2O's came out to play.

The rub-on sentiment just speaks volumes to me, as we always seem so caught up in planning and organising our lives, that we tend forget to enjoy the moment. This rub-on as an exclusive Doing Life Online Shoppe product and comes within a set of 4 different quotes. To view this, just click on the Doing Life Online Shoppe link at the top of this blog to get onto the Shoppe ... once there click on Products at the top and then click on Rub-ons in the sidebar and then Quotes.

The shape of the image and the arrow has been created with the use of the Brackets Template also an exclusive product to the Doing Life Online Shoppe.

This past Saturday, the family spent some time together and I managed to get one or two cute photos of Alisha's little brother Zander, with the added bonus that he actually smiled for the camera. Don't you think that Alisha is just such a natural poser? The camera just loves her.

Above, Alisha and Zander with the rest of their family. Baby brother, Marko has really grown since we saw him three weeks ago and his little body and face has become more full. Marko is still such a good little baby ... his Mom and Dad, Heidi and Bernhardt says that they don't even know they have a baby in the house. We are really happy for Heidi and Bernhardt being blessed with such a lovely happy baby boy, after they went through a terrible stressful time with Zander who was born with a heart defect and had two open heart surgeries within the first few months of his life as well as a hip operation. They spent quite a few months living in out of hospitals. One would never realise this, looking at Zander now ... he is a healthy boy, but will have to undergo another heart op when he is a bit older.

On the home front, me and hubby started yoga classes (never thought I would ever do something like this). I had my first class last Sunday and really enjoyed it, apart from nearly knotting my limbs a few times, not to speak of the head stand we had to attempt ... and this was only a beginners class ... so I don't know what other body stances are lying ahead for us. Having had a look at at the huge chart on the wall displaying the multitude of stances, I am quite nervous of the future. But, it is really relaxing. {Marinda, I wish you were here in Johannesburg with us, so that we could be taught by you personally!}

On the hair front, I eventually got rid of the Cape Town factor after going for a re-colour of my hair with some highlights as well. I am back to being a honey blond and it feels like looking at 'me' again in the mirror. I know you are all dying to see a photo of my current hairstyle and I commissioned hubby to take a few pics of me returning from the hairdresser this morning, but I really look like a 45 year old going for 60 in the pics, so sorry, I can't share them with you. Have to go for a professional shoot some time.

Well that is all for now. Thanks again for making the effort to stop by and leave such lovely comments. Off to visit some of your fabulous blogs and catch up on all your doings.

MARKO FEATURING ON DVD

{Sketch Saturday Challenge #46 & Cute Card Thursday #56}

I promised Marko's Mom that I would let them have a DVD with the photo shoot I took of Marko when he was only 11 days old. Marko, being such a precious and beautiful little baby boy, inspired me to decorate and embellish the DVD holder with his photo shoot's DVD .

Sketch no.46 over at Sketch Saturday, got me going with the layout for the front of DVD. Of course all the cardstock are once again from my favourite Basic Grey ranges. The fancy journaling squares were stamped with Making Memories acrylic stamps. The chipboard I received from Tracy as encouragement for my BOM challenge. The paper flowers were created with a Fold-it Swirls template from Paper Pizazz. The rest of the embellishments are from stash. Cute Card Thursday's challenge this week is Flower Fantasy and seeing that I have created my own flowers here I have also entered it for the CCTC challenge.

Above: The back of the DVD Holder.

Above: The inside of the DVD Holder with a photo holder booklet on the left.

Above: The front of the booklet.

Above: The inside of the booklet with some photos in a pocket.

We are commemorating my late sister, Hiletje's wedding anniversary tomorrow, with her husband Jens and we will be seeing Marko's family and hopefully hand them this DVD holder.

Its quite satisfying covering and decorating a DVD holder and making it a bit more special. Thanks again for taking some time out to pop in here. Wishing you all a wonderful and hopefully more relaxed weekend than Easter weekend.

STAPELIA GIGANTEA

{Carrion Flower}

Remember, a few posts back I had a picture of a very strange but beautiful looking flower, which was flowering in our garden? I was wondering at the time whether anyone knew the botanical name for it.

Its hard to believe that something as insignificant as a flower, could bring long lost family members together again, and for that matter across continents. My foster surname was Walters and a lady by the name of Charlmayne Walters responded with the following comprehensive description for the strange flower:

"Hi Desire

You've probably had loads of feedback on your question re your flower by now but in case not: I think it is a Stapelia Gigantea. According to the Bundu Book of Trees, Flowers and Grasses (1972) Longman: STAPELIA GIGANTEA Asciepiadaceae

carrion flower SH chikondepasi

This lare-flowered steliad has flowers some 40 cm across. It is widespread at lower altitudes and is particularly common in the south and south-east of Rhodesia. the flowers, which smell of bad meat, are pollinated by flies. There are two other species of Stapelia that occur in Rhodesia: S. gettleffii and S. Kwebensis. These also are most common in the south and south-east. Stapelia adn allied genera are termed stapeliads. Those occurring in Rhodesia are Huernia, Duvalia, Caralluma, Decebelone and Stuititia. I initially looked it up in my copy of the Royal Horticultural Society's A- Z Encyclopedia of Garden Plants and found the entry for Huernia to seemingly fit the bill but since there was no photograph that matched yours I wasn't sure so then thought of looking it up in my African books."

The above flower has also been flowering lately in our garden and belongs to the same family as the first flower. But this one is much smaller and only opens this far. I am also very glad to know that it is indigenous to Africa.

With Charlmayne having the surname Walters, it triggered immediate thoughts of her being possible family on my late foster Dad, Roelof Walters' side. So I responded to Charlmayne's email posing the obvious question. Well, it turned out that she is the daughter of my foster Dad's younger brother and have been living in England the last decade. Charlmayne has also been a silent stalker of Doing Life for some time. I am so glad that I have rediscovered one of my nieces 'niggies'. Charlmayne also is an avid gardener and nature lover.

Doing Life had the honour once again to receive the above award and this time it is from the very talented Rica. Please do visit Rica's Haven to have a look at her wonderful card creations. The rules are to pass this award on to five fellow bloggers when accepting it. It is quite difficult to choose only 5 deserving Doing Life visitors, but here goes in no particular order:

• Michelle Ramsay
• Lynette Jacobs
• Helen Tilbury
• Candice Greenway
• Andrea

Please don't be offended if you are not one of the above five, as I would have loved to pass this on to each and everyone of you.

Thank you for popping in once again and for all your lovely inspirational comments. Remember to take a chance at Doing Life's blog candy in celebration of its 20,000 hits ... well the hits have now reached 21,000+, thanks to all your interest.

HAPPINESS is where we find it, but rarely where we SEEK IT - J. Petit Senn

{DDCC Design Team Project, Papertake Weekly Challenge [Dawny's Sketch 12], ABC Challenge [Inside], Basic Grey Challenge 30 [Chocolate Soft Centres], Stamp Something [Shapes]}

Hope you are all having a great and meaningful Easter break with your family and friends. I am sure you are also enjoying an extra two or three of your favourite chocolate eggs ... enjoy and don't feel guilty. We are also spending the long Easter weekend at home, being lazy and doing the odd little bit of work in between. I always feel that its much safer staying at home during the Easter break, especially here in South Africa where the accident rate on our roads always seem to escalate during the Easter long weekend.

This coming weeks Dutch Dare DT project is to create a card using your favourite craft items. So needless to say this was the perfect opportunity for yours truly to get punch happy again. By now you all probably have come to realise that my favourite crafting tools are my EK Success punches. I've used 4 different punches on this card ... just love the versatility of all these punched shapes.

Most of the punches seen in the Ingredients below are available at Doing Life's Online Shoppe. If you are interested in these punches, hop over there right now and click on Products at the top, then click on Tools of the Trade in the left sidebar and then click on Punches, to order.

Dawnys lovely sketch no.12 over at Papertake Weekly got me going with the design. Once again I inked up another new stamp purchased from Great Impressions at the recent Hobby-X show here in Johannesburg. Just love this mountain scene ... so tranquil. My H2O's did its magic again with the colouring of the image. The quote is a sticker from Creative Memories, and so true. The two corner shapes and little circles was punched from a sheet of cork I had in my stash.

I used Basic Grey Two Scoops Blueberry Custard and Mellow Taper patterned cardstock. The Basic Grey challenge for this week is chocolate soft centres. I love those easter eggs with the yellow marshmellow centres and these colours remind me of them. Below are the INGREDIENTS used for this creation. {Thanks Helen for the lovely descriptive word used here ...} Thanks again for taking the time stop by and for all your lovely encouraging comments. Don't forget to take a chance at the blog candy in celebration of 20,000+ hits, above.

There is only one HAPPINESS in Life, to LOVE and be Loved

{Dutch Dare DT Project, Colour Create & Basic Grey Challenges}

I am a small step ahead of my design team projects for Dutch Dare Challenge, but hey its much nicer being in front than frantically trying to play catch up. Next weeks DD challenge is a recipe challenge i.e.:

• Basic Card
• 3 pieces of cardstock
• 2 pieces of design paper
• 2 brads
• 2 flowers
• 3 buttons

It was quite nice to be told which elements you are allowed to use, because I don't know about you, but I can never decide where to start and stop with embellishments.

Please look the other way when you see the fold at the bottom of the flower pot!!!! Hope I am excused.

I also decided to enter this card for this week's Colour Create Challenge where the theme is a photo of a very ornate lilac fish . . . as well as for the Basic Grey Challenge which is having a spring theme this week. I used the following Basic Grey cardstock on my card:

- Sarah Oh Baby Girl

- Carlie Oh Baby Girl

Below are the tools I put to use creating this card.

The stamp was another of my new acquired Great Impressions stamps I treated myself with at the recent Johannesburg Hobby-X show.

Thanks again for popping in and for all your lovely inspirational comments. Enjoy the rest of your weekend.

At last I got round to posting some pics I took at our god son's 21st celebration at Tres Jolie, held on Friday, 27 March 2009. His actual 21st birthday was Wednesday, 25 March 2009. Above his with the birthday cake. Its probably the colourant in the black icing that turns green under flash light. Everyone had to dress up according to the letter D which is the first letter of Daune's name. Below are some collages I did on Picasa 3.

Above is Duane's uncle with his family all dressed up as the Dracula clan. Morne and Ronel with their children Ivan and Carle. Above: Not sure of some of these costumes, but I do recognise the cute little Devils in the top left corner. Above: Some familiar D's are Desmond Tutu teaming up with a Drag Queen and his entourage. Above: Two 'Dagga Koppe' which translated means Cannabis Heads.

Above: The birthday boy with his Diva (girlfriend Candice). And of course Duane went all dressed up as himself.

Above: Some Divas and Dices.

Above: Doctors and Devils teaming up ... dangerous combo I would say.

Above: Top right in the middle is Death teaming up with Desmond Tutu.

Above: Bottom left corner is the Drag Queen revealed. {Michelle, don't you think the Drag Queen's partner looks a lot like Dereck?}

Above: Our other god son, Kyle dressed up as Dark Vader, sharing a tender moment with his Mom, Belinda who is also dressed up as a Diva.

Above: A collage also done on Picasa 3 with all the highlights of the evening.

Above: The birthday boy with his parents Carel and Belinda.

Tres Jolie and its staff went out of its way to make Duane's 21st a very special occasion which he will always treasure. The food was just perfect for teenagers and students. Everything was in the form of sosatie sticks and tasted delicious, which was easy to eat on the move whilst chatting and socialising. From Fillet to fish and grilled vegetables were all on sticks. And of course more meat than veggies as young people have not yet realised the valuable nutrition there is in veggies. The deserts were all in mini bite format from mini eclairs to the traditional South African cocktail milktarts.

Everyone had a fantastic time without going over board. We were amazed at the wonderful, sincere and friendly group of friends Duane have. But, of course now and then these kind thoughts went out the window, when occasionally some of them called us 'Oom' and 'Tannie' i.e. uncle and aunt. You know, we always feel 21 forever, but I guess outward nature takes it toll! But we do realise that being addressed as 'Oom' and 'Tannie' means that we are respected.

Trust you enjoyed sharing these pics with Duane and his family. Thank you for your interest.