Autumn is around the corner...

Monday is officially the first day of Autumn for us. But so far, the days are still HOT.
In fact as I sit and type this, I am sitting in my bikini with my towel wrapped around me, my hair still wet because I've just had a swim at 5 in the afternoon! {for the second time today} This week was pretty strange..Monday was hot. Tuesday it rained. Wednesday was hot again. Thursday it rained in the morning and then got hot by the afternoon so we swam and today has been hot again. Been a very strange week weather wise!

I have had spring green accessories in my lounge for a few months now, to go with the cooler months. We haven't got the colder, wetter weather, darker weather yet, but I know before we know it, it will be here... I LOVE spring and summer, the long days and nights, the feel of the warm sun, being able to swim every day with my kids in the pool, going to the beach, eating ice-creams, sitting outside at 9 in the evening with a cool breeze.... I am not a winter person at all. I don't like being cold, I don't like to shiver, I don't like winter because it rains.....constantly, so it means you are stuck indoors,getting up while it's still dark-to get the kids to school is just SO WRONG! I miss the sunshine and walks and the beach, I miss swimming and just being outdoors. I tend to eat more and drink more coffee too....But it has it's good sides too....lot's of cuddle time with the kids and hubby :) watching movies huddled under warm, cozy blankets, soups, casseroles and curries, plenty of time for arts, crafts and scrap booking and doing things indoors with the kids like baking, play dough, making things, board and card games.

So I decided this year to try and look forward to it...to be positive and welcome the change of season. I went and bought new accessories for my lounge to give it that autumn feeling. I think I achieved it and it feels warm and cozy with all the different textures I brought in..

I kept some of the green just to break the whole red and orange feel, and cos i love green and summer... can't let go completely!
Warm red throws....
pine cones...
string, hessian and wood....


warm mats
wicker lampshades and soft lighting.

textured magazine baskets.
cozy blankets....


And you can see I changed my blog too....already miss the old one though....
What's your WORST thing and BEST thing about autumn and winter?
Have a great weekend!

A request for my neice....

A little message for my neice Cherye....
photo taken by me.
{Read her blog-from the beginning, which isn't all that long ago, as she only recently started it} She is 16 and going through a pretty tough time (not your average teenage stuff). If you can offer her any encouragement or advice, please do so...she needs support and she needs to know there are others out there maybe who have gone or are going through a similar thing. It's hard enough being a teenager, having to cope with mood swings, confusion, raging hormones, without added issues that only make what should be an exciting time in your life, more complex and confusing. so please hop on over...

I Just wanted to show this card i made on the weekend for a friend who requested it, someone she knew was moving away...
I can't take credit for the lovely design, I got the idea from Cindy Lee, a blog I recently discovered. I love her card designs.

I also recently did this paper scrap page of my daughter.

I used a plain card stock over and tore the edges and stuck some lace behind as well as some gorgeous rose paper i had for ages. I tried to stick to the colors in the photo's-the teal and pink tones.
And made this ribbon flower and circular swirl.


And yesterday I went and bought a piece of cork and a backing board and made my own cork inspiration board, Sooooo much cheaper than buying it already made. Will take photo's when my board is more full as the moment I only have 3 things on it!

New Commercial use items

Hey Everyone
A few weeks ago we visited a lovely wine estate and I got the chance to take some photo's of flowers, something I love to do! You don't need to say "just turn that way...a little bit more attitude please"-they come with their own attitude and beauty!
So here are some of the photos I took..which as you can guess I extracted and turned into commercial use flowers.












I also made this fish bowl for my new kit, "wonderful" which I decided to turn into a commercial use item too. It is a png file and all you do is put your fish and bubbles behind it on a new layer and then merge. I included some bonus bubbles too!

I hope you have a great week!
Don't forget my CT call which ends on Sunday! (see posts below!)

The beach

She sat on the soft white sand looking out towards the ocean. She closed her eyes and breathed in the salty air, tasting it. She could hear the distant cry of seagulls and the faint laughter of children. A soft breeze ran it's fingers through her hair. She thought about all the things in her life that had brought about change. They had sculpted her, molded her, shaped her, refined her

Pressed her and finally defined who she was today. She thought back over the years, short as her life up until then was.

Reflecting on the choices she had made. Wasn't It amazing that had she just taken a different path, "the road less traveled", choosing the other way, to think that her life could of gone in a totally different direction? Whose to say where it would of lead, what experiences she would of had, who she would of met. Shaking her head, as if to clear the fog, she realized, she didn't need to

Know the "what if's" . She was happy with the outcome of her life, where her path had lead. She was grateful for the choices she and others had made that got her to where she was that day.

She could feel the last embers of day gently caressing her skin, in it's last attempt to bring warmth to the earth. She opened her eyes and in the distance, against the twinkling golden water, she could see two little figures running towards her.

Giggling and skipping, their light feet barely touching the sand as they ran.

Smiling she got up, brushing the sand off her clothes and began to run towards them.

It felt good to feel the warm sand filter between her toes, to feel the wind lift her hair and sweep it into the air. She laughed as she ran, feeling young, energetic and alive.

Relish this moment, she told herself, be in this moment. As she got to her children, they flung their small bodies onto her with such surprising force that she lost her balance and tipped backwards, landing on the damp sand. The three of them lay there like that, laughing while the waves lapped at their bodies. She hugged them to her and smelt the sunshine and summer in their hair.

She thought If only every day could be as good as this...

copyright Bronwen van Esch 2010

I'm Back!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Wow, it feels likes years since i last blogged!! lol!
I had a fantastic break and it's good to be back!
I have a lot of photo's to share with you.

Well December was a VERY busy month. We had visitors stay with us almost the whole month.
Friends of ours from England and then my sister in law and her daughter from NZ came to stay for 3 weeks and 1 week of that we went camping together to along the Garden Route.
We went to a place called Birds of Eden and Monkeyland.
Birds of Eden is a unique two hectare dome (the world's largest) and spans over a gorge indigenous forest. It has a canopy walk. All the birds fly free.

NOTE: all images taken by me, (forgot to put my siggie on some of them) and are copyrighted material.


South Africa's National bird is the Blue Crane
This bird is only found in South Africa and is called The Knysna Lourie. Knysna is a place along the South African Garden Route. There are different types of this particular bird.

I did a watercolor painting of this one above


Blue and yellow macaw
starling



a canopy walk

parrot

Hornbill
Toucan

Monkeyland

Black and white ruffed Lemur
Ringtailed Lemur (like from the kids movie Madagascar)
A common South African monkey.
I haven't done a scrap page in what feels like forever and I haven't done any designing since "Days gone by" kit.

But check back sometime for more photo's and a fun little giveaway I will be hosting. I am also going to upload some of my older kits and Host a sale soon too. So keep this blog book marked!

I would love to hear what you have been up to, so be sure to drop a comment and let me know! Missed you guys!

Vacation

This blog is on vacation until mid January 2010.
Please email me if you have any comments or questions.
As usual I will try to still get any links to you if you do purchase something and will
let you know when I will be unavailable to do so.


See you in the new year!!
Ps The above pic is of me and my new hair color! I love it!

New freebie

I would like to give you a gift today, .

DOWNLOAD HERE
Please be kind and leave a comment! Thank you!

Oops,forgot to mention the winner!!

Congratulations to Amber Mclean! (thescrappywife)!!
I will email you with your prize!

Thank you to everyone who participated and I appreciate your feedback!

I have a new kit coming out soon....watch this space!

little freebie

I have been so out of doing anything digital for a while. I am starting to miss designing and doing digi scrap pages. I always seem to concentrate on one or the other (paper or digital)
but I hear photoshop calling me...

I did make a little freebie for you today...

and these I did a while ago which you are welcome to have as well...a free collage download perfect for ATC's or personal projects

Have a good weekend!