RIP Ratu Komaitai

I just learnt that one of my former co workers passed away a few months ago. I worked with Ratu when I was working at Jet Park Hotel, his birthday was the day after mine - the day I miscarried my first child on. However I left Jet Park not long after my miscarraige, and the last I knew of Ratu was that he was living and working somewhere in America. Its such a sad and guilty feeling when you think of someone every now and then and wonder where they are and what they are doing - then suddenly you hear they have passed away - its even worse when is some time after they have passed away that you learn of it.

We only new each other for a few months, but I know I learnt alot from him. We had our moments, and I know my departure wasnt on positive notes - I still have the letter written by Ratu from an incident that happened appologising for his comments regarding me being pregnant and losing my baby, and I never got the chance to say that I forgave  him....I never got the chance to tell or show him how much I have grown as a person and how serious I am in my job and career...the things I have learnt and the awards/medals I have earned and won. All I can do is say a silent pray to him and say that to him and hope he hears it.

I know he is up in Heavan now with my son looking after him for me, because I am unable to do so myself right now. He really did love my son, and was upset that I lost him, he and I both feared something would happen to him......but I rest easy knowing he isnt alone.

RIP Ratu. You will be sadly missed by so many people.

Thank You Card - for Midwife

My sister asked me to make her a card to give to her midwife who has birthed the last three children she had (she had a different midwife for her eldest daughter). She asked for it to be blank on the inside, what she didnt do was give me enough of a time frame...somehow I managed to bust out a card for her in time to give to her midwife...!!

A close up of the detail on the card - the four buttons with rafia through them represent all four of my sisters kids - her two girls and her two boys. Im slightly addicted to doing this rafia and button combo...!!

Alice in Wonderland Birthday Card

So my friend Toni that I met and made friends with in my Event Design class at Uni is turning 25...!! YAY - and she has invited me to her birthday party which is a Mad Hatter's Tea Party.

To go with the theme of it all I have for a gift which fits in with the whole mad hatters do and to show off my creativity I made her a card - I tried to google for ideas for cards but none really seems to have made any I found. So here is one. The image I found on google, its from the original book I believe.

I printed it onto a baige colour cardstock. Inked the edges in purple and using a Kaiser Craft stamp, I stamped the image of HAPPY BIRTHDAY in clear ink and used black embossing poweder on it - finished it off be inking the edges and matting both of these images. Torn a bit of script paper from a now deleted Grant Archival range of papers (one that i love to bits) inked this in gold, the very back ground image is from My Minds Eye.

I had a bag of buttons with different shapes and colours, found a teapot one, put a bit of clear ink on it an some copper metalic embossing powder and purely experimented with this to see if it would melt the plastic or not - thankfully it didnt and Im really happy with the distressed look of it. Finished it off by knoting a little bit of raffia on it. Made a bow and added a few embellishments and finished it off with a Crown from a Fiskar Ink by Step range of stamps in gold embossing powder.

My mate Toni LOVES this card..! And Im really happy also with the over all finished piece!

And just a little bit upclose to show some of the detail on the card.

National Culinary Fare 2010

I won....!!! I won.....!!!! Hahahaha....!! How DARE you bring your personal problems and issues with me into your judging of competitors during Regionals - but if you think you could make me feel weak and low on myself, drive tears from my eyes when I know... I KNOW I am good at what I do...then your so very wrong....and I have proven that by getting back the Gold Medal you lost me....!

The only positive at the end of this that I have an even balance of metal on my wall at home...a silver and gold from each - regionals and nationals....say I think i need a bronze from each to make it all even.....but no.....I know that Gold Medal runs in my family genes.....just look at my Gold Medal Olympic Runner cousin in law JOHN WALKER...and at my former All Black Cousin Rod Ketels.....my family has winning genes in it....

BUT.... I WON...!!! I WON!!! Though I must say I am very disappointed that their was such low numbers...it was to easy for me to win at Nationals with only one other competitor up against me who had no training.....and had never entered before. I knew from the start I had it in the bag....