March 22, 2020


NOTE FROM MARIE TO BLOGGERS:


To my fellow bloggers: I am sending my first bulletin regarding my situation, health-wise. I deeply appreciate the good wishes you have sent me and it is touching to know I’m not forgotten. I have had a very illness-free life so it was a surprise when I had a life-threatening medical emergency necessitating surgery followed by two months in hospital and another 4-5 months under the care of a hospital-in-the-home service. I am improving from day to day. I am pleased to report that I have regained strength in walking (now without aids) and I am becoming more independent and almost well enough to cope with living alone. My daughter saved my life in so many ways. She refused to give up on me and she nagged and bullied (in the nicest possible way) and persuaded me to believe the fight was worth fighting. She lives in the same street only a minute or two away if help is needed.

My problems melt into insignificance with the pandemic now affecting the lives of every person living on the planet. I wish you all a safe journey through the mayhem of life changing rules and the attack on the economy.


Marie AKA Ozstuff

Sunday, March 25, 2012

Take a Word Challenge - HATS


This week our challenge is all about HATS.  Any kind of hat will do.  The idea is to have fun!!
Credits for this picture are HERE

Sunday, March 18, 2012

Take a Word Challenge - Angel/Angelic

This week our challenge is ANGEL/ANGELIC.  Show us your angels or earthlings with angelic faces.  The most important thing is to have fun.
Credits for the above picture are HERE

Sunday, March 11, 2012

Take a Word - GREEN

This week our theme is GREEN.  Any shade of green is welcome.  March 17 is a great day for the Irish and this is Take a Word's tribute to it.
Credits for the picture are HERE

Sunday, March 4, 2012

Take a Word Challenge - MASCULINE

This week our theme word is MASCULINE.  This photo is from my own family album.  The male is my Great Uncle Paul (by marriage) and, yes, he was a big headed, opinionated man, although I admit using some trickery  art to inflate his noggin.  We can't wait to see YOUR masculine images.
Credits are HERE

Sunday, February 26, 2012

Take a Word Challenge - MAIL

This week our theme word is MAIL and Bev (Indybev) has given us this gorgeous sample picture to inspire.  Thank you, Bev.  Bev has chosen to create an art envelope but any references to mail, postmarks or postage stamps will qualify!  Have fun.
Bev's blog can be found HERE

Sunday, February 19, 2012

Take a Word Challenge - Turquoise

This week our challenge is hopefully an easy and enjoyable one.  The theme is TURQUOISE.  Shades of turquoise, splashes of turquoise or all-turquoise - have fun!!
Credits for this picture are HERE

Sunday, February 12, 2012

Take a Word Challenge - ATC (Old fashioned)

This was created on an ATC template but was enlarged on the blog page.
Our theme this week is ATC (Old fashioned).  Show us your ATC's.  Have fun!!

Sunday, February 5, 2012

Take a Word Challenge - Coffee

Linda has provided these great sample pictures this week.  I think they are the before and after - an attack of the jitters and a calming cuppa!!
Thankyou, Linda.
Our theme is, of course, COFFEE.  Have fun with it.
Linda's blog can be found HERE

Sunday, January 29, 2012

Take a Word Challenge - Regal


Our theme word this week is REGAL.  Yvonne is our guest host (thankyou, Yvonne).  She set me the impossible task of choosing from four different pictures.  I couldn't do it so have included all four.  Yvonne's imagination has taken her to four different meanings of "regal" so beautifully that I knew you would be inspired by each one.
You can find Yvonne's blog HERE

Sunday, January 22, 2012

Take a Word Challenge - Try a Moo (nothing to do with cows!!!)


As mentioned in the Sneak Peek, we are creating "Moos" this week.  I have dragged  some samples from my folders to give "New to the Moo" artists an idea of what the Moo is all about.   Yes, at first it IS a challenge to fit all you want to fit on a small, narrow template but the result is rewarding.  Imagine having your own stash of elegant gift tags!!  The theme is MOO/VINTAGE but you are welcome to design your Moos in any style that suits you.  The one rule is that the template measures 1.10 x 2.80 inches (or 2.79 x 7.11mm) approximately.  It is OK to use the Blog resizing button to show your Moos in a larger size on your Blog.  Don't stop at one.  Post two, or three, or four or more (on the one page so that they come through in one posting).
Have fun when you go a-mooing!!

Sunday, January 15, 2012

Take a Word Challenge - Fish

This week our theme is FISH and this beautiful sample picture comes from Linda.  Thankyou, Linda!!
Linda's blog can be found HERE- http://justanothervolunteer.blogspot.com/

Sunday, January 8, 2012

Take a Word Challenge - Nature

This week our theme word is NATURE and Deann (Grannie Annie) has given us this superb picture to inspire us.  Have fun with the topic - anything to do with the natural world qualifies!!
Deann's blog can be found HERE

Friday, January 6, 2012

Help required!!

As you are probably aware the numbers of blog challenges have been greatly reduced over the past year and now we are down to a very small handful.  If you have any ideas on themes or styles of art, please let me know HERE or copy and paste to your email server moom@iinet.net.au
It is difficult coming up with fresh themes from week to week.  Perhaps you can think of some that we have never thought of.  Perhaps you would like to see art types featured (ATC's, collage, altered art etc).  We are here to please so join in and inspire us!!  Thankyou!

Sunday, January 1, 2012

Take a Word - A New Year

May I wish all the wonderful artists at "Take a Word" a very happy New Year.  It is only with the generous support of you all that our challenge is successful and, hopefully, a fun place to be.
A new year for me means resolutions and hopes for the future.  What does it mean to you?
Credits for my picture are HERE

Sunday, December 25, 2011

Take a Word Challenge - PRINT

Sadie is certainly in the news here.  This week our theme is PRINT.  Use print,  favourite fonts, handwriting, music manuscript or alphas in your artwork.  Have fun!!
Credits for my picture are HERE

Sunday, December 18, 2011

Take a Word Challenge - Sepia


Tones of sepia with a splash of colour.   This week the theme is SEPIA which gives us a chance to use some of our vintage photos and drawings.  For credits, HERE is a link to my blog.  HAVE FUN!!
For all those people who volunteered to provide sample pictures in the New Year, I will be contacting you with dates and themes towards the end of 2011.  Many thanks!

Sunday, December 11, 2011

Take a Word - JOY

This week our theme is JOY and our host is June who has given us these two beautiful samples to get us started.  Thankyou, June!!
Show us your joyous artpiece and take it anywhere you want it to go.  Have fun. 
June's blog can be found HERE

Sunday, December 4, 2011

Apologies and hopes for a glitch-free and enjoyable New Year of art

Some time ago I invited members to volunteer as hosts for the challenge.  I received quite a few replies which I converted into a list which I then managed to accidentally delete from my computer.  I apologise for that.  I guarantee I won't lose a second list of names so if you would like to showcase your fabulous art on the challenge please let me know.

I have become a bit disorganised, leading a busy life away from the blog,  dealing with family matters and being an on-call Grandma at all hours of the day and night and my commenting is not always as prompt as it should be.  For that I apologise!!  I promise to do better.

Sooooo, let's start with a new slate in the New Year.  I can't thank you all enough for making Take a Word a wonderful challenge with superb artwork every week.  Without you all we wouldn't have a challenge.

If you are still interested in hosting, contact me via my email address which is on the right hand side bar of this blog.  I will enter the names on my brand new 2012 calendar as they arrive. 

Cheers from Marie, aka Ozstuff, aka (maybe) The Slacker.

Take a Word Challenge - Numbers

This week our theme word is NUMBERS.  Use a number or numbers in your artwork and, as always, have fun.
Credits for the sample picture can be found HERE

Sunday, November 27, 2011

Take a Word Challenge - BLUE

This week we have a simple theme - BLUE.  Use any shade of blue in your picture.  Splashes of other colours quite OK!!  Have fun.
For credits click HERE