Scrap that Poetry

Here is the latest lovely little bit of poetic inspiration over at

Scrap that Poetry

April- challenge #13

by John Greenleaf Whittier

'T is the noon of the spring-time, yet never a bird

In the wind-shaken elm or the maple is heard;

For green meadow-grasses wide levels of snow,

And blowing of drifts where the crocus should blow;

Where wind-flower and violet, amber and white,

On south-sloping brooksides should smile in the light,

O'er the cold winter-beds of their late-waking roots

The frosty flake eddies, the ice-crystal shoots;

And, longing for light, under wind-driven heaps,

Round the boles of the pine-wood the ground-laurel creeps,

Unkissed of the sunshine, unbaptized of showers,

With buds scarcely swelled, which should burst into flowers

We wait for thy coming, sweet wind of the south!

For the touch of thy light wings, the kiss of thy mouth;

For the yearly evangel thou bearest from God,

Resurrection and life to the graves of the sod!

Up our long river-valley, for days, have not ceased

The wail and the shriek of the bitter northeast,

Raw and chill, as if winnowed through ices and snow,

All the way from the land of the wild Esquimau,

Until all our dreams of the land of the blest,

Like that red hunter's, turn to the sunny southwest.

O soul of the spring-time, its light and its breath,

Bring warmth to this coldness, bring life to this death;

Renew the great miracle; let us behold

The stone from the mouth of the sepulchre rolled,

And Nature, like Lazarus, rise, as of old!

Let our faith, which in darkness and coldness has lain,

Revive with the warmth and the brightness again,

And in blooming of flower and budding of tree

The symbols and types of our destiny see;

The life of the spring-time, the life of the whole,

And, as sun to the sleeping earth, love to the soul

Here is my layout based on the poem above...

I used the following lines from the poem.....

"Up our long river-valley, for days, have not ceased

The wail and the shriek of the bitter northeast,

Raw and chill, as if winnowed through ices and snow,"

with a photo of the stunning view from our home.  I loved these particular lines as we are located in the North-East of Victoria, (Australia) in a gorgeous little piece of paradise. 

I used these stunning buttons created by the extremely talented
Tessa Ann
She has the most stunning handmade buttons.  These are just some of the beautiful ones I got from her, and had to stop myself from buying her entire collection :)

Be sure to pop over and play along!

Scrap that Poetry Blog Hop

Spring Challenge Blog Hop

Here is the info on a fantastic blog hop that

Scrap that Poetry

is a part of and it starts today!

" All the blogs involved have a variety of prizes to give away during this hop so you don't want to miss a thing. All the blogs are giving away prizes for at least the following two things: followers who leave a comment this week and winners of their challenge for the week. Some blogs may be giving away prizes for even more than that! And if you complete a challenge for all 6 you need to sign in at Practical Scrappers because they will be giving away a prize for that too!

To be entered for Scrap That Poetry's grand prize: $15 of Stampin Up products from Jenn

Here are some ways to get an entry...

1. Become a follower

2. Leave a comment on this post saying you participated in the blog hop and what challenges you completed on Scrap That Poetry and your favorite poem

3. enter challenge #13 (winner of challenge recieves a book of poetry and guest designer)

4. enter challenge #14 which goes live on April 15th (winner of challenge recieves a RAK and guest designer)

5. if you enter both challenge #13 and challenge #14 this week, you will get 5 extra entries for the grand prize!

Each blog offers a very different paper crafting challenge for you and we think you will enjoy the variety offered. If you are here, you love a good paper crafting challenge, here is your chance to check out some new ones!

Practical Scrappers

Sketchy Thursday

Scrap That Poetry

The Cuttlebug Spot (next stop)

Pile it on

365 Cards

Don't forget it you participate in all 6 challenge blogs you are entered for another grand prize at Practical Scrappers! The Hop ends by Sunday, April 18th... so make sure to link up your entries by then!

Craft Shelf

Here's a little something I've been working on over the last little bit....

My friend Chelle ( scrapbookit ) and her very clever husband Rick, make and sell these at their shop.  Rick also made the desk in my scrap room, so he's obviously very good at what he does!

Here it is...

How cute are these papers???? 

In an effort to clear my ever growing stash of papers, I've decided to go back and use some of my older papers and those I can't use, I'll pop in a crafting box for Belle.

These cuties are some very old Cosmo Cricket papers!

Love the colour combination of these papers and how Cosmo always has a "strips' paper with great little sayings.  I also used some old Basic Grey ribbon too!

All in all I was really pleased with how my little shelf came together and also the fact that I've used some old supplies.  I also decorated a magazine box that I've had in my box of BTP items for ages.

Well that's it for now.

Thanks for stopping by!

Scrap that Poetry

Appologies for not having posted this a little sooner, but as Murphy's Law would dictate....It's the school holidays, so all three children have been sick!

That said.....here is our challenge #12 poem over at

Scrap that Poetry

An Easter Flower Gift

John Greenleaf Whittier Poem

O dearest bloom the seasons know,

Flowers of the Resurrection blow,

Our hope and faith restore;

And through the bitterness of death

And loss and sorrow, breathe a breath

Of life forevermore!

The thought of Love Immortal blends

With fond remembrances of friends;

In you, O sacred flowers,

By human love made doubly sweet,
The heavenly and the earthly meet,

The heart of Christ and ours.

Here is my take on our 1st poem for this month.  The photo I chose to use is one I took in my garden this year in late Spring.  Or driveway is lined with beautiful Weeping Apricot and Cherry trees and this little speciman is a double pink blossom, which makes a really pretty display.

The verse I chose to include  from the poem is

"In you, O sacred flowers,

By human love made doubly sweet,"

and I used my Kaisercraft mini stickers to add them onto my layout. 

Hope your Easter has been filled with much love and a chance to celebrate with family...as has ours, and of course not to mention truck loads of choccie goodess!!!!

Take care & Bye for now xxx

Tuesday Tip - Kaisercraft

This week was my turn for Tuesday Tips on the Kaisercrafties blog – and I chose

"Reusing leftover alphabet sticker sheets".

“When I use my alphabet stickers, I cut out the entire letter (still on the sticky backing) to position where I want the title or letters to go and I found I had a pile of left over outlines. So rather than throw them away, why not use them as a frame to stamp inside of and custom make your own title!”

“Select the letter you need and stick it onto a piece of cardstock. Choose a KC stamp pad and stamp inside the outline”.

“Remove the outline and while the letter is still wet, sprinkle with embossing powder.

Use heat gun to set the image”.

“Repeat the process over and over for the letters you require”.

“I used a selection of the beautiful new Kaisercraft inks to stamp with and when I embossed the image I was chuffed with how bright the letters became! I used my custom made title in the layout below, but you could use the same process for anything…cards…btp items….or alternatively use the left over outlines of your die cut sheets or punch your own designs as I also did with the butterflies”.

rainbows – Papers from – Shaken not stirred, Peachy Keen, Lilac Avenue, Off Shore, Garden Arabesque & La Di Da, Kaisercraft Ink Pads – Lipstick, Sweet Potato, Corn, Spice, Antique Blue, Lilac & Hot Pink, Wooden Flourish SB721, Rhinestones and Type Alpha rubons RB821.

Thanks for stopping by..

Some published work.....

These two pieces of work have just appeared in the Australian magazine, Scrapbook Creations!  This first one of Belle was created last year at my girlfriend Michelle's Scrapping retreat.  I came across these Heidi Grace papers one day in Spolight and they were not particularly new, but I fell in love with all the flowers and ladybirds.....my sort of paper really! 

I had done some other layouts that day and just felt like having a bit of a play....so I cut out lots of different little bits and pieces and made a garden scene.  I love how it all came together.

The next layout appeared in a gallery about "Puddles".  In all honesty I could probably have created a dozen layouts for this theme as each year the cherubs provide me with an opportunity to take more photos.  Am thinking  a progressive layout might be on the cards at the very least!

Here are some photos I took last month of Noah and Belle in the garden.  Obviously we don't just need Winter puddles to play in, the hose in Summer will also suffice!

When I saw them I was sooo horrified by how filthy they were. All I could do was run inside and grab the camera...lol.....

Well that's it for now.

Thanks for stopping by!

Scrap that Poetry

A brand new challenge is up at Srap that Poetry and it's one of my favourites!

Our poem for this next challenge #12  is the

IRISH BELSSING!

May the road rise to meet you

May the wind always be at your back

May the sun shine warm upon your face,

The rains fall soft upon your fields

and until we meet again
May God hold you in the hollow of his hand

~traditional gaelic blessing

I love the words of this poem.  I actually know it as a song that I used to sing with my sister. I chose a photo of my Anty Di, Nanna and my Mum.  It was taken last year at Mum's birthday and I love that we have the three of them together!  Here's my layout...

The very talented Tessa Buys is offering some of her absolutely beautiful handmade flowers as a RAK for this challenge.  Be sure to pop a link to your layout in the comments section and play along!

Here is my layout from our last challenge....

It's based on the Dr Seuss poem "Oh the places you'll go!"

and finally a little something I was working on the other day.  A layout of my gorgeous Noah using one of his kinder photos from last year.  How cute is he????

Well that's it for now!

Thanks for stopping by.

xxx