Eighteen Years. (Barbara) Five Years (Elizabeth)

Eighteen Years have gone since I last saw your beautiful face.
Too long, so long,
It seems like for ever,
But all the beautiful memories of you and your sister's growing up still fill my heart with love,

I wonder every day why this should happen so early for my beautiful girls.
But I dream of you awaiting for me,
When my day comes.

To embrace you again and to touch your gentleness,
You both were always too special for this world.
Even the way that you helped your Dad and I with the oncoming death of Lizzie,
We hold it in our heart forever.

Even in death you helped us.
We love you both for ever.

(Mum) Carolyn Rakowski.

Its that time again

My Two beautiful Twinnies

Its that time of year when my heart aches,
The Joy and Happiness of my two beautiful girls re-vibrate,
Yes there birthdays come and go and the love my girls left with me will never be gone.
Oh how I miss their beautiful faces their laughs their stories,
all the things they did and shared are left in peace and glory.

Those hours of unknown the times of torture of not knowing,
I wish I could live it all again.
But not lose it how we did.
I would like to go away with them and share their peace and joy

To be together again would bring me so much Joy,
But yes I know it so hard to say no.
 I must not go  for my others are so precious too.
They too they bare the sadness as well.

The family reunions and all are bare,
That link is no longer there to share.
Oh Lord touch my Heart and make me brave,
I miss my babies so much,

I wish they were here to share that love
and make our family whole again,
So we could all join together in love,
That special gift from God above.

Life goes on.

Time to Say Goodbye (A Mums Prayer) by Carolyn Rakowski

A little Angel whispered in my ear,

Mama  its time to say Goodbye,

I did not know at the time,

 the messages were all there,

but I did not want to hear.

Because I loved to feel you near.

I felt the pain in her body,

The happiness in her eyes,

The joy of being part of her twin again,

It was all there,

but I did not want to say goodbye.

The time went so fast,

the love I bore.

I could not let go,

Until that night so close and near 

when that little faded voice said again to me

Its time to go Mama.

If my love would save her it really would.

But God said No she has stood enough,

Her body frail and tired.

Its time to rejoin your twin,

who has been waiting for you for a while.

Twelve years in pain,

 tis way  too long

to be from some one so close and dear,

So I will take you up to a land 

thats pain and tear free.

Our Lord has loved you all this time 

I truly surely know

that he has another spot for you 

A place of Peace and Joy

You will embrace your sister Barb,

with Nans and Pops and friends,

And I know you'll be waiting there for me,

When my journey will come to an end. 

Until then we'll say goodbye 

but its not for ever you know

Because our Lord has a place for all of us to go.

It is so important to love as much as you can,

because we never know 

when our name will be called 

to that home above on high.

Let us rejoice in Gods smallest gifts  

and thank him for our life

because if we would have never lived

this joy we would not know

And  as we wait in peace and happiness

and know that we will be called,

one day home to be with all 

that God has taken before.

Goodbye my sweet 

Till we meet again 

The Old Gum Tree

I loved the old Gum Tree.
Many memories it has for me.
When my girls were little they would climb and swing.
And do many other things
 under the old Gum Tree.

The birds would play and mate and sing
to me it was a glorious thing.
But as the years went by the neighbours would change,
the last one did not love my tree so much
He would always complain about its beautiful leaves as such
I dont know why,
but, I have always loved that tree

I feel sad that everyone does not love God glorious creations.
He made each for his own love of things
big and little or what it may be
I have always loved that tree.

It had seen the years come and go
I wished there were more to come but, no
my neighbour did not love my old gum tree

As time has gone by,
and my beautiful tree has reached the sky.
Its leaves it would shed on the neighbours roof
and he said
I do not like your gum tree
you must remove it because it bothers me
I cannot cope with it mess it blocks my drains and eaves and sheds.
But I still love that tree, its memories are great to me.
and I know why I love that tree.

by Carolyn Rakowski

I have added one of my cards and then the card boxed in a box I made to put it in.

love to those who read this,

Blessings Carolyn

Seasons of my life

Autumn, Winter, Summer and now Spring.  Life goes by day and night.  My heart is yearning for those summer years again when love blossomed children grew and became their dream.
Now the sadness of losing ones children and coldness of winter setting in the dreams no longer laughter and joy, but tears and sadness.

Do not let all these things bring sadness remember the joy the love we still hold in our hearts.  Thank God for the Mercy he has shown and love he has bestowed on us.  Fill us with your understanding and wisdom and help us to hold on to you.  It is hard but this is life.

Each generation brings its joys and sadness.  Let us rejoice in the gifts and love each one brings.

Thank God for his bountiful gifts and turn away from the sadness.

It is not as easy as that, it is learning to live with our fears and our sadnesses, we grow and give thanks for all that has been and will be.

I am in the autumn of my life but boy is Autumn a beautiful time.  I shall rise to see the beauty of the sun and the glories of the night.

Many blessings and love.
Carolyn.

French Foliage and Roses

This is one of my latest Sculpture Cards.  The whole of the card is made with our Stampin Up products.  The stamp set is French Foliage.  This stamp set is an amazing set great for rustic and nostalic applications.  To play with colour and this stamp set in typical autumnal shades is so fun and the lovely effects you can achieve just playing with this is amazing.

I used the Stampin Up Double Petal Card Punch, Top Note Sissex Die, Lovely Leaves sizzlet Die, Mini Double Petal puch.

Used a lot of Expresso Coffee Stampin Up ink to shadow and stipple to give depth to my work.

Just thinking I may make up a Tutorial on making the Rose with the Double Petal Punch.  Any Body Interested in the Tutorial please contact me by email.



Seasons of Time

Winter has arrived in all ways.  The cold winds are rushing through the valleys and over the mountain.  The leaves have fallen and all the wonderful colours of the fall season are gone.  Now the glow of the fire and the warm cocoa and hot drinks are the warmth of the day and night.  The lovely patch work quilt over the knee and the bright fire glow is what warms us through the long winters nights and the wet cold days.  Dreaming of the warm summer sun on our face and skin and brightening the sky.  These are all dreams of the days and years gone by.


I have made this little book to remind me of the seasons of time.  Delighting in the time it gives me to play with my wonderful toys.  Creating, colouring, imagining and dreaming of all things old and new.  Grateful for the joy of a wonderful family and creative Mum.  Wishing that that mum was there still to comfort me and encourage me.  Wishing I could still be sharing with all my children.  Growing with them and learning with them.


Missing my girl who is not here any more and dreaming of what she would be and how she would share with me.  Loving and remembering the times we all shared together and the great times we had as a family.  The wonderful little girls running in their pretty dresses and shoes and all excited for our special seasons of the year. 


Life is a maize of memories and time we all shared.

My little flip flop book reminds me of this.