Thursday 28 July 2011

"He dies."

R.I.P
Christos Mitsacopoulos
1921-2011

Thus the reason for my disappearance!
We were about to go on holidays for a week, 
splurging on a 5star hotel to be pampered
so as Gregory could recuperate from surgery
(he finally had the screws removed from his femur) 
no sooner we left the hospital we got a call.....
 that G's father was not well.
The ambulance was called and we went straight to the hospital.
We arrived in emergency Friday night 8pm
an available bed in the wards was found at 2am Saturday morning!!
Tentative diagnosis was pulmonary oedema so death was imminent 
but that was not the case
it was a respiratory infection so strong 
that this feisty nonagenarian
could not fight!!
the doctors tried to fight for him
we tried to fight for him
but there was no more fight left in him!

As a babe his family fled from Constantinople
leaving all their wealth and property behind!
As a teen in Thessaloniki he defied the Germans by stealing their weapons and 
dumping them in the Thermaic Gulf....
he was caught and sent to
Mettenheim Concentration Camp
he fought to survive by eating raw bread dough and
drinking lots of water!
As a young adult he entered the foreign office as a means
to studying chemistry his first post was in Czechoslovakia 
he fought to help Greeks leave the country
by faking passports, as a result.... 
his second post was the USSR in 1957
he became a respected consul in the foreign office
such was his reputation that he was sent to 
Hungary mid 1960's.....
here he fought against the Hungarian police
that had no qualms about
  invading the Greek Consulate late at night
what they did not realise is that
he did not fear the communists!!
he refused a post in New York
much to the wife's and sons dismay LOL
and served his final working years in Paris
upon retirement he returned with his wife to Greece
where he had to fight a new battle that of the degenerating neurological disease called Parkinsons
he fought long and hard for 16years
till Tuesday 19th of July 2011
where he put down his boxing gloves.....


Give them hell Kyrie Christo where ever you are!!
you will be missed
 but always remembered with love, affection and respect
with love
your kangaroo
(his nickname for me)
Irini

Thursday 7 July 2011

Some more from the Glitz Scarlett kit....

which you can still find at

This layout was made with the last 12x12 pattern paper left in the kit LOL
and all the embellishments are made from the scraps
Only extras used were my Martha Stewart Doilie punch,
 Deep daisy punch and my Heidi Swap wings stamp!!

a close up.....of the Glitz stickers with bling on them!!

stay tuned for a micro mini and a card that I have made from the kit!
the kit seems endless doesn't it LOL
good value for your euro!!

Wednesday 6 July 2011

My version of a Smash Journal!!

you will find how I made my own version of a 
over at

Thank you for the inspiration Marie!!!!

Monday 4 July 2011

More from the Glitz Scarlett kit.....

I made this layout a couple of weeks ago now....
it was actually made with some scrapping buddies on the island of Aegina
I have used the Glitz Scarlett kit from


The red frill around the layout was made with the Martha Stewart Doilie punch,
I punched out doilie strips from the vanilla cardstock in the kit 
then I sprayed the strips with  Candy Apple red Glimmer Mist (again from the kit)
once the strips dried I pleated them and placed them around the layout!



This picture has such bitter sweet memories
apart from the fact DH and I are very young (I was 28) LOL
we were also celebrating the marriage of a dear friend of ours 
and a year later to the day she died from breast cancer
she was only 28!

Sunday 3 July 2011

Missing in Action and Get Creative!!

I have been missing in action
because I cannot type!!
this week I suffered with swollen hands and feet
for reasons unkown according to the bright sparks (ummm doctors)
of the Greek Health System
I will make a post about this experience
but not today as I can hardly type LOL LOL

On a happier note
The first challenge of the month is up at


it is a fun challenge....
make a layout...

using this colour pallet and a photo from last summer !!
make sure you check out what the design team have come up with,
absolutely gorgeous layouts!!

The layout and card design team
will be using products sponsored by
for the month of July
so make sure you keep an eye out
for the challenges this month

here is my take on the challenge



I cut up the Cherry Nest bingo card
(reads travel in Greek)
I kept the title
and the rest of the card I made into a flag
and used a strip of numbers under the title

so will you play??