and they sparkled...ppf

So...here is a little story to go with my latest art..

.My sister asked my mum last week if she had a nice memory of when she was little. My mum didn't have her dad in her life but she used to visit his mum...her grandma...she had a house and in the backyard her grandma had a sand pit...my mum would visit her grandma and go and play in the sandpit ...mostly building sandcastles ...this one particular day mum was feeling a little bit dissatisfied with her castle...so she popped off into her grandmas house and went straight to her jewelry drawer..and as luck would have it there was a wonderful pile of pretty coloured beads..of which mum grabbed a handful of...she raced out to her castle and began placing the beads around her castle to decorate it...i have never heard this story about mum and feel so blessed to have heard this little snapshot of her life....my mum had a pretty tough childhood so for me,  and now all ny sisters this story is a  wonderful image to have...My mummy has alzheimers..she has had it for 6 years...she us now currently going through tests to find out what else is wrong with her...after receiving a not so good bloodtest result...we are all hoping everything will be ok...

here is my piece for my sister for christmas...we do a secret santa for the adults and i pulled her name out of the hat...I know she won't see this, but just in case i can't show you the present i bought her...it's gorgeous....and this little art will go with it...

it says on it..

and they sparkled like a rainbow of diamonds...i love arting, yes, it's childlike, but you know what, i think this is my style...at last...i can't seem to do anything else....i got so much joy from doing this piece for my sister...

I have linked ths to ppf...

Until next time
lots of it
mandy
xxx

NOEL SISTERS...PPF

So, this is something that I did alittle while  ago and it was one of the very first ARTY sort of things I did since I was a kid. I used pigment pen and drew little images on cardstock then I used water colour, cut them out and created this scrapbook page of my sisters and I. I really loved it back then and I still love it now.I think I will do some more of this style because it;s something that I thoroughly enjoy. I have framed it in a black box frame and I put it up at Christmas...

I am linking this to ppf..I know it's sorta cheating but I consider this as when I sorta started getting arty again and wanted to share it with you all...thanks again for all your lovely encouraging words...i love them...

ok
until next time
lots of it
Mandy
xxx

PPF...and a partridge in a pear tree...

So...i finally got to paint something...i thought i'd get into the spirit of christmas and paint a girl getting her christmas on...the colour here is a bit weird probably because it's rainy and dull here...oh well...i am sure you get the jist of it!!!

Can you see the little partridge??? she is hiding...well...it's my version of a partridge...i had plans of doing each of the 12 days of christmas but seriously, i was going to do that with the mama painting too...then reality kicked in...time my friends...can anyone suggest how i can get some more???

Anyhoos, i am linking this to paint party friday, after too many weeks of missing it, so i am really looking forward to checking out some wonderful art..

.

Okies, well until next time
lots of it
mandy
xxx

sculptures by the sea...bondi beach

last monday we had a great outing into the city...it has kinda become an annual tradition now...we started the day at icebergs, i am sure the best place in ausrtalia to have a beer and enjoy a meal at...because of the amazing view...anyhoos...we fed the kids up and had a couple of beers, then we were off looking at the beautiful scenery and sculptures....i had a few favs...i won't show you all the photos either, and i only took my phone camera, no REAL camera as such....after a very hot day we sat down to a delicious dinner( if you go there try the chilli prawn linguin) iand headed off home...a very long day for sure, but sucking up that art, yummy food, great company and an icy cold beer...seriously, what more could a girl ask for...

until next time

lots of it

mandy

xxx

Happy Halloween

I said i wouldn't do it...but...here are the kids dressed and ready to go trick or treating..we did it a couple of years ago and there was hardly anyone out doing it too. Well,this year there was alot..
The kids had a ball..we were only out for around an hour all up...
But the got some loot , and i really had a great time talking to the neighbours. All in all it was a lovely community spirit sort of night.
Having said that this morning was quite eventful in a baffled way...poor Connor woke up this morning having great difficulty breathing...and BAM...he had a pretty bad croup episode...so out of the blue ...so we were off to the drs. For both he and Jacob...so Connor  only walked for half of that time tonight.
Here are a few photos...i have discovered they turn out crappy  from my phone..but hey..i'll fix it up later...

Until next time
Lots of it
Mandy
Xxx

Hello friend

So...last Tuesday an old friend text me. We haven't been in touch in years . It was such a wonderful surprise . I really missed her. She introduced me to scrapbooking and was always there for me. So..she had a look at my blog and loved maddies butterfly scrap page ..so here are 2 i did for her very  cute little girls...
Ok..this is the first time from my phone ..i will cross my fingers and hope it works...lol...
Until next time
Lots of it
Mandy
Xxx

A Mamas Love #1 is finished!

Here is the finished piece. I included both Maddie and Jacob's miracle blankets on the line. If you missed my last post these were the little snuggly blankets that kept them safe and warm,snuggled and alive when they were on life support as we nearly lost them. It was a miracle that they survived thus "miracle blankets".
Here is an update, I thought I'd enter it in PAINT PARTY FRIDAY...there are so many gorgeous links to look at...why not enter as well and have a bit of fun...


I am quite happy with it, I love the texture and the multitude of layering of paper and then paint. My clothes line has much bigger sized clothes on it now, and yes I still have cricket bats and tennis balls and lots of other toys scattered around my yard....and yes..I really know I am not as skinny as my painting...lol...I wish!!!ha ha ha...but this is what I do...with 6 kids you can imagine my washing...and I HATE DOING WASHING!!! but I do it because I love my family, along with so many other things we do out of love for our family. That is why I am going to do a series of everyday things we do out of love..those unsung things we do all the time...so that is why this is called A MAMAS LOVE #1...


Here it is!!!

(Kristin, that birdie is for you!lol...)

Ok...well that's it for now.

Untile next time

lots of it

Mandy

xxx

A Mama's Love #1

So...here is a little piece I have been working on..it's not finished yet....I had this very old fashioned print and I thought enough is enough. I am going to do a piece of laundry art. It may inspire me to fix up my laundry a bit...
There are so many layers on this, sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't! I wanted  to paint an everyday scene of my life as I see it as a mum...I think I am going to paint a series of these things, and call them a mama's love #...this one is number 1. It;s been fun so far, my hubbty says it's not one of his favs, oh well....

That yellow thing on the line is Maddie's miracle blanket...we call it that because it was with her through the time she was on life support,,,it has little stars on it and her name embroidered on it too...my sister gave the twins one each when they were on life support,Jjacob's is white with little clouds...they love them... 

Ok..well...here are some shots of... a mama's love #1..

 I was so into cows at one stage, this is what I took down from my wall in the laundry...
well...
until next time
lots of it
(love I mean)
Mandy
xxx

Quality Time in the Holidays

So. we are in school holidays at the moment and with Jacob unwell we are trying to do things for the kids at home. Last friday we borrowed this amazing book called...the Usborne Complete Book of Art Ideas by Fiona Watt. Let me tell you, if your kids love art this book is amazing. I actually ordered it from the Book Depository, with free postage everywhere....

They said to use magazine cut outs to create a city scene...I used my multitude of scrapbook paper scraps...Maddie and I began this today and it proved to be a tricky task for her to cut out perfectly, so we went for rustic...it is still not finished, but for now it is, until Jacob gets better...

Daniele, I told you I love little houses...lol...this was planned before I saw your beautiful artwork...hee hee hee...mine is not so much arty as crafty I know, but all family members are thinking it's quite cute...we still are to do a little road with a car and bus on it, that goes across the front, thus the white space still there.

It's wonderful having kids that are into arts and craftiness...hopefully by next week Jacob will be a bit better and this rainy weather has improved and we'll get to do something a tad more exciting for the kids...
until next time
lots of it
mandy
xxx

Life on the edge

In all honesty, I shouldn't really complain. You see, we have had the best year ever with Jacob. He has hardly picked up any viruses this year, in turn that has lead to no life threatening episodes, Earlier in the year we had a few, what we call, crossover episodes, in which his steroids kick in before his airways close over.
But, first day of the school holidays, and he has woken up unwell. With the kind of cough that says, uh oh,,,be ready with his meds...and I am. It is going to be a tough few days coming up, and I really don't like living on the edge. It makes me feel sick!

On another note, here is something that I very quickly made in about 10 minutes. I have bought this new ladder type shelving unit for our front room once it's finished, and I have put it in the entry. It will have all neutral shades on it. Here is what it looks like now, and here are some simple photos to show how I made the brown paper covered books. I love them, for now anyway!!!lol...

Ok...well that's it from me...gotta go and get busy...
until next time
lots of it
Mandy
xxx

what makes you smile

Well, what makes me smile is my spring garden...seriously, I do love a white bloom, and I walked out to my garden this afternoon and was overcome with the gorgeous smell of orange blossoms...I seriously wish you could smell it. It's amazing how a smell can have such a positive effect on you. Sometimes life gets overwhelming, and for me that simple sweet smell brought so much happiness, and yes, I did smile,,,a whole lot. I just pottered about clicking with my phone. My land isn't huge, and the garden is not perfect, but I LOVE it, one of my favourite things about my home. I thought I would hang my sewn together squares on the tree to show where I am up to...still to go to the shops and buy a border that matches, and wadding, and backing.lol...I think it will make a perfect throw to lie on or have a picnic on...

ok...well that's it from me...I have a busy day tomorrow and hope you have a good one too...hope you get to smile like I did!

until next time

lots of it

Mandy

xxx