Finally... I'm back blogging!

Friday, May 22, 2015


Thank You!
I'm back and my goodness it seems like forever since I have blogged so please excuse me if I appear slightly rusty! I have had quite some time away from my craft desk and also from social media and have slowly been getting back into it over the past couple of months. I won't bore you with all the details however I would like to briefly explain what has been going on in our lives. Way back in December, 2014 we lost a dear loved one who lived on the farm with us and although he was 101 years old it was still traumatic. Two days later our rural community fell victim to a large fire that tore through neighbouring farms including our own. Fortunately lives and homes were spared but crops and stock didn't fare too well. The continuing weeks saw Christmas come and go as we continued to stay on high alert putting out spot fires that were occurring daily. January through to February brought us hospital time for both our youngest son and also myself. Finally after months and months of worry and rebuilding we seem to be back on track and getting to that point of a normal existence again. I would like to take this time to say a big Thank You to those of you who sent messages with your concern, it was very much appreciated and also made me feel as though we weren't going through everything alone. x

Now, onward with the scrapping!
I'm going to have to do some major 'catch-up' so I apologise in advance if you've already seen my blog posts projects on social media.

Today I'm sharing a layout I created for Doodlebug Design Inc using the gorgeous 'Sunkissed' collection.


A dear friend of mine had some amazing photos taken of her boys in their new pool and I couldn't resist creating a layout for her using Sunkissed... it just seemed to work in perfectly!


I've commited myself to making sure that every layout I do from now on has some form of story, no matter how brief and it must also contain a date. I have been a little slack worrying more about design than actually paying attention to the details that will matter in years to come.


However, in saying that... I still want to play around with fun designs and I'm hooked on using all the little embellishments to create fun mosaic styled backgrounds for my photos. And how cute are all the 'Sunkissed' bits and pieces? Doodlebug's standard colour palette means that no matter what collection you are using, all the embellishments will match... no matter what! Love it!


I love hand stitching on layouts because I truly find it relaxing and it means I can sit and catch up on a bit of television whilst I'm at it... it's my therapy!


Thank you for stopping by today and I must say... it's good to be back!

post signature

14 comments:

  1. Doesn't look like you're rusty Melinda - what a beautiful LO, especially your perfect stitching. Hope things get better for you...sounds like the end of last year and beginning of 2015 was a nightmare. Hope you are well on the way to recovery and that the farm stays safe

    ReplyDelete
  2. Hi Melinda, glad to know you are okay. Let's hope the rest of this year is kinder to you and your family.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Oh dear you sure have had a lot to deal with the last six months, I hope things are getting better now. Your layout is fabulous, love the colours and the embellishments that add dimension. Take care of yourself!

    ReplyDelete
  4. С возвращением! Очень рада, что всё хорошо закончилось! Страничка такая жизнерадостная!

    ReplyDelete
  5. I had no idea all that had happened. I heard about the fire, but didn't realise you'd been ill as well. Hope you and your boy are both well and truly fixed up now:) Of course, your page is amazing....especially the stitching. Love the fun you've had with those embellies, too:):)

    ReplyDelete
  6. I'm so glad things are getting back to normal for you!!! You have been missed!!!!

    ReplyDelete
  7. Glad you are back! Love your style and this page is super cute! Love the embellishments and the stitching especially!

    ReplyDelete
  8. Welcome back Melinda. I can just imagine how devastating the loss of a loved one and so much fire damage can be. I am glad to hear that you are nearly back to normality. Your page is as unique and gorgeous as always. Love the stitching and the lovely collage.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Oh my goodness! What a difficult time, you've been missed, but clearly there were more important things to deal with! Thankful that things are getting better for you!

    ReplyDelete
  10. You're not rusted at all. Your style is awesome as usual, beautiful layout, and so inspiring! I'm so sorry for what happened to you and I wish you better times. :)

    ReplyDelete
  11. Your layout is amazing and I'm so happy to hear that things are improving. I am deeply sorry for everything you've been through and everything you guys lost... I hope you are feeling better health-wise. Big Hugs! :)

    ReplyDelete
  12. I've not seen your blog before... I came to look as the layout passed on my pinterest feed. It's beautiful

    ReplyDelete
  13. Holy moly, that is a ton of stress for one family. So sorry for all you went through. :( However, your layout is absolutely wonderful!!

    ReplyDelete
  14. So sorry you, your family and community had to go though such hardship and loss...
    but glad to see things are getting better.
    Happy to see you are back to sharing your beautiful exquisite work

    ReplyDelete