2014

Believe

Blog

What I’m listening to Jose Gonzales – Heartbeats, listen to it HERE

“Life is too short to wake up with regrets. So love the people who treat you right. Forget about those who don’t. Believe everything happens for a reason. If you get a chance, take it. If it changes your life, let it. Nobody said life would be easy, they just promised it would most likely be worth it.” — Paulo Coelho

 

Oh my what a quote, I think this will be my mantra for 2015, what a wonderful author. Full of wisdom, I hope to take these words and carry them with me.

 

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As this year draws to a close best wishes to all my fellow creatives near and far.  I wish for all of us a year full of love and laughter.

 

Linking with Kim for Texture Tuesday check out all the wonderfulness HERE

 

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Nurture

Blog

What I’m listening to  Lisa Gerrard – Now we are Free (from the film Gladiator)

The year is nearly over. In general it has been a good year. My two children have shaken off their wings and flown, one to travel and one to succeed in his chosen field.I think there will be challenges ahead but we will be there on the sidelines cheering them on. As for us well, it’s a matter of choosing the next step along the yellow brick road. I have a few ideas in the pipeline, who knows whether I will succeed , but I won’t know until I try. Mark continues to be my rock and I think we will plan some short adventures, health and weather permitting.

 

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I’m still playing around with my word that sums up my hopes and dreams for the next 12 months.

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It’s All About Balance

Blog, Writing

Telling my story. My 60th year.


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Supplies by Captivated Visions, Rosey Posey and Nancie Rowe Janitz.

More thoughts on my one word for the year. But also my mantra .

BALANCE ******      Work, Exercise, Play.

NURTURE ******** Read, Research, Write, Meditate.

GROW **********     Bolder, Experiment, Find Adventure.

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Some Thoughts at the End of the Year

Writing

As the year draws to a close I’m gathering some ideas ready for 2015. Once again I am thinking of a word that will help and guide me through my 60th year.  As usual I find this so difficult mainly because I need more than one !!

 

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I have  shortlist it’s longer than usual . I’m reading Mindfulness by Prof. Mark Williams and I want to include this into my choice of word.

Balance —–Mental or emotional stability:the way to some kind of peace and personal balance

Healing —– The process of making or becoming sound or healthy again:the gift of healing

Seek ———- Attempt or desire to obtain or achieve (something)

Deliberate —- Careful and unhurried:

Commit ——– Pledge or bind (a person or an organization) to a certain course or policy:

Have you thought of a word ?

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Don’t Worry Be Happy – Friday

Blog

Music I’m listening to Loreena Mckennitt – Mummer’s Dance listen HERE

I received my first Christmas present today and as my dear friend was flying back to Spain we exchanged presents in a beautiful little tea room that she discovered.  I was blown away, she really ‘gets me’ well we have known each other for 25 years.  First of all this is what I got her.  For the past few years I have always given her a hand crafted present, a Blurb book of photographs and quotes. But this year I made her a canvas to put on her bedroom wall.

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As you can see I used Kim’s most gorgeous vines and hearts I so love using them. the quote was from Jon Kabat Zinn somebody we both love.  She gave me the most wonderful book .

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Oh it is going to sit by my side.  Here is a quote.

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Time to reflect on friendship.

Both a necessity:

Solitude to find one’s self

Friendship to find one’s self.

If you have a special someone a good friend I so recommend this beautiful book.

Do you like my pretty measuring spoons ? A find in TK Maxx.

Finally a bit of digital art.

Have a wonderful weekend my friends. We pick Jo up on Tuesday I’m so excited…..

 

 

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Supplies by Anna Aspens

Kim Klassen dot com

Look Behind You !

Blog

This time of year and especially at Christmas it is traditional for ghost stories to be told around a crackling fire. Apparently this isn’t just a Victorian invention although Charles Dickens, Wilkie Collins and MR James were practised narrators of the tradition. Roger Clarke author of A Natural History of Ghosts: 500 years of Hunting of Proof reports that just before Christmas 1642 shepherds were said to have seen ghostly civil war soldiers battling in the skies. Of course today there are some wonderful tales, Susan Hill for example the author of A Woman in Black is a wonderful storyteller.

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The growth of photography brought the advent of spirit photography – there were people who charged enormous fees, and used various tricks, to picture sitters with ghostly images of dead loved ones. William Mumler, for instance, who created a famous image of Mary Todd Lincoln with the ghostly hands of her dead husband, Abraham Lincoln resting on her shoulders.

 

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Processed on the iPad using, DistressesFX and Stackables.

 

 

Of course you can do anything in Photoshop these days !

 

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My big news is that my daughter Jo is coming home for Christmas after 8 months in New Zealand, so I probably won’t be posting much until the New Year.  So compliments of the season everyone and have a wonderful peaceful time full of fun and happiness.

 

 

 

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Thoughtful

Photography Blog

 

What I’m listening to Steeleye Span – Gaudete a wonderful piece of music for the Christmas period

I’m currently following a mindfulness programme. The idea of having a mind with too many windows open like a computer really resounds with me. You fill up your mind with so many open pages that your mind seizes up, all the old anxieties and memories rise to the surface and you become exhausted and stressed.

 

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Even though I don’t work and spend a fairly solitary life I can still feel myself stressed full of emotion and worry. So I’m going  to try to declutter my mind, close off some of those windows that should have been deleted years ago.

 

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I’m going to be starting a series of journal pages documenting this on my blog, I hope you will visit and check them out.

 

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To all my American friends have a wonderful, happy and peaceful Thanksgiving.

 

 

Kim Klassen dot com

Texture Tuesday – just popping in

Photography Blog

The last few weeks my Fibromyalgia has been bad. When it hits I want to hibernate to go to a dark cave and lick my wounds. The very thing I need to do for my mental health is to socialise online with friends, but instead I pop my head out say hello and disappear. So apologies to all of you if I haven’t reached out.

So here are a few things I have been working on…

My iPhone has been my friend for processing and for ease of use. I can’t move around much to take shots so two out of the three photos were by iPhone then processed on my iPad.

I love the wooden background and the sharp clarity of the props.

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A morning out in Bristol all processing done with Stackables and Distressed FX.

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This shot was taken down by the floating harbour in Bristol, processed in Lightroom and two layers of kk_stamped_softly added.

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Have a good week everybody I’m using Instagram a lot these days you can find me  at viv_halliwell I’d love to see you.

 

 

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