CWD's wants to see some embossing for this new challenge!

Crafting with Dragonflies - newest challenge

Wet and/or Dry Embossing!

Remember - always a card thanks!

You can use dry embossing or wet embossing or if you are a crazy fool like me you can do both!

Blame it on Pinterest! Saw something there that got me thinking......

I used an embossing folder on some copper card; then added randomly some silver and gold embossing powders; wanted to make it a bit grunge so added some black with sparkle as well. 

I put all that aside and then took some small wooden gears, and gussied them up with a metallic paint - they looked a bit too shiny and new so they had some Ebony EP put on them too but just a sprinkle!

The sentiment was stamped and embossed with copper EP and layered onto the various cards - black, gold and vanilla.

It can be a Father's Day card (our Father's Day is celebrated in September), Birthday or Celebration or Congratulation..........

You can see the smooth copper I started with in the bottom right corner (after the Embossing Folder had been applied). It had lovely texture - feels rough and rusty and old. I had trouble attaching the gears at first and when I finally got them to stick, my nicely random layering had gone and they were almost in a line up the page - bugger! This time they were stuck good so no can move.........

You can go to Crafting with Dragonflies and see the excellent work done by the DT and then get stuck into something to enter into the challenge!

I will enter this in the following:

Twisted Thursday at The Outlawz: Layers and Dimensions 

Creative Fingers: Anything Goes

We are into Spring regardless that it is early - and so the wind has arrived today - some rain also but not enough for us in the south-east of the island. However, there is lots of spring activity! Here is one photo taken recently by S Climie on Maria Island from the top of a mountain. I have climbed there myself in the early days and agree it is a lot longer down than it looks and the way down is behind these two not in front! Maria is an island off the coast of an island (Tasmania) of the bottom of an island (Australia)!

A stunning view from Bishop & Clerk on Maria Island thanks to Samantha Climie who says:

One of my favourite spots in Tassie. It's a lot further down than it looks.

www.instagram.com/samanthaclimie

What is Collage???

Hi Peeps - Welcome!

Remember I mentioned a few post ago that the parrot's were making a mess on the steps eating the Cotoneasta's berries?

Guess who's back!!!!

However, in the scheme of things - small problem, eh!

There is a new challenge #71 for August at Unstampabelles.

Collage, Collage, Collage

TWIST - use a bit of multi media

I made card but it can be a tag, a page, an off-the-page item - as long as you don't use stamps!

My idea came from something I saw on Pinterest but it ended up nothing like 

The idea was to die cut something and then lay it on another sheet and using sprays, or colour bursts, create a silhouette. I used an SU die of a butterfly, cutting it out of white card and taping it to the printed sheet before using colour bursts and water to create havoc.

Then I trimmed the sheet and used a gold mount to start the front of the card.

I diecut the butterfly again out of another paper (blue). My white one was laid aside to be used on another project. 

My collae was of flowers and I glued them into the top lhs of the card .

I wrapped some gold cord around my butterfly and attached one end under the button with the sentiment. I punched out three more smaller butterflies and added them (with a pearl) to the card. 

It has shimmer and shine and the wings tremble as you hold the card.

The silhouette of the butterfly underneath adds dimension somehow.

There is no torn paper on this one, but there is a page of an old newspaper, glue, paint and mica stirred up by the water added to it, some twine and some flowers glued down - collage according to the definition!

Collage (from the French: coller, "to glue";^[1] French pronunciation: ​[kɔ.laʒ]) is a technique of an art production, primarily used in the visual arts, where the artwork is made from an assemblage of different forms, thus creating a new whole.

A collage may sometimes include magazine and newspaper clippings, ribbons, paint, bits of colored or handmade papers, portions of other artwork or texts, photographs and other found objects, glued to a piece of paper or canvas.

Why not go over to Unstampabelles and see what the rest of the DT have come up with!

Re-purposing Stuff!

Have you ever had the feeling when something you own has come to it's end that to throw away the empty container would be a waste? I was given a lovely container of hand cream (a gift from New Zealand) and the container was small, round and white - perfect for re-purposing or recycling!

Over at Eclectic Ellapu, Elaine wants the DT to prepare inspiration for an "Anything Goes" challenge for the month of August! We all know how they just fly! I decided to turn my small tub into a container for sequins or similar (I have a lot of them spilling everywhere; ditto seed beads) and I wanted it to look pretty on my desk. 

Of course it could hold other stuff - I also have a small but growing collection of old jewelry;some found, some thrown away; some the only part of a lost pair......you know the idea - to useful to throw away because they might come in handy at some stage! They take up space though and the small tub is big enough for most of it.......so after the photo shoot I went back to the idea of sequins!

I decided not to paint the plastic as it was quite a good white anyway. I glued some white lace to the bottom part and threaded some gold string through this - took me ages to do!

The lid had a gold line on it so I just positioned some ribbon around the top, allowing the gold to show.

The top layer really didn't need to have much bulk as it will get in the way of taking the lid off and on, so I kept it fairly flat despite layering - first the doily, then some scrap card from waste; the music is from a Christmas card and the bird a punched shape, as is the branch, from SU. The flower I have had in my collection for over 2 years now. 

Some bling to finish off.....

Simple but I think it is effective and I get another container to put stuff in!!!

If you go to Eclectic Ellapu, you will see what the other DT members made for this challenge and perhaps contemplate entering yourself?

You have a month to enter and can enter more than once.........

Oh, the pretty bit.....your reward for reading so far!

How cute is this little fella?

A gorgeous Eastern Quoll exploring Cradle Mountain thanks to ‘Scot Down Under’

Male eastern quolls are about the size of a small domestic cat averaging 60 cm in length and 1.3 kg in weight; females are slightly smaller. They have thick, soft fur that is coloured fawn, brown or black. Small white spots cover the body except for the bushy tail which may have a white tip. Compared to the related spotted-tail quoll, the eastern quoll is slightly built with a pointed muzzle.

B is for Boy.....Baby and Blue!

Hello Peeps!

It's time for all things babies at Crafting with Dragonflies. Remember, for this challenge you need to make a card only! Talking of babies:

This little guy from Flinders Island was recently orphaned and is now in the care of Flinders Island's one and only "Wombat Lady" Kate Mooney.

Thanks to Sean Scott Photography for photographing this gorgeous little fella and Kate Mooney for being such a special lady. For the past two decades wombats injured on the roads of Visit Flinders Island Tasmania have been sent to Kate's 40-hectare farm for some rest and rehabilitation. Kate has only had one six-week period in that time without one in her care.

www.instagram.com/inthesea2017 
www.instagram.com/visitflindersisland

Just the other day I was told by friends of mine that they were expecting another baby into their family. The news was first greeted by me with gales of laughter before congratulations - why, you may ask. This family already have had four children and now have two surviving late teen boys and a young girl entering her pre-teen time. They are not a young couple but they obviously thought they were beyond their breeding ages and had taken some risks. This little fellow will be welcomed with love and open arms. He will have five parents and be totally in charge of all five! It is great news but the disruption to their lives will be immense and the plans for early retirement are now on hold!

I came home and immediately made a card for them - not to be delivered until December! They don't read my blog so that is OK! I saw a vintage style card (but different .....much neater and symmetric) card on Pinterest and drew inspiration from it to create this!

There is collage, layering, inking, embossing (no stamping!!!) and texture paste work involved

Bling and stickers.....

Empheria and hearts.......

It just evolved - there are seven hearts - one for each member of their family and they are all different and all just evolved as I worked. 

Such lovely news and I just hope that all goes well between now and then!!

Remember, a card and the theme this fortnight at 

Crafting with Dragonflies

is Baby Cards! 

You should go and see the work of the other DT members - so good!

Tag - Your It!!

Before I talk about the tag I will update you all - my hubby has been in hospital since Friday last and came home today - that's a 9 day stint! Back in with the infection showing as cellulitis in his leg and so intravenous antibiotics of varying strengths. He is much better now and did better overall as he was well recovered from the last time and had got strength and fitness back despite the chickenpox! One never knows where life will take you, does one!

Where will the path to #TassieStyle adventure take you today? The Lake Esperance boardwalk disappears into winter mist in this moody image. One of Tassie's 60 Great Short Walks, the 2-hour easy return walk to Lake Esperance is within the Hartz Mountains National Park, an alpine reserve located 90 minutes' drive south-west of Hobart & Beyond. Part of the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area, the park is a window into the legendary south-west wilderness, offering views of remote mountain ranges as far as the southern coast. It's a spectacularly beautiful region, with delicate waterfalls and glacial lakes dotting a landscape shaped by ice ages from previous millennia. Pure magic!

Image: instagram.com/dancolthorpe
#DiscoverTasmania #SeeAustralia

 — at Lake Esperence, Hartz Mts, Tasmania.

Life has been s trifle stressed. However, we have had winter also and it has been fairly typical - not a lot of wind or rain for us to date and lots of quite blue days but quite cold. The last few days we have had a bit of rain - good for gardens and farmers - and I have made a big pot of soup for lunch! Time to sit in front of the heater and relax! Before I do that I  will tell you about the tag I made a few day's ago for the current challenge at Unstampabelles -

#70: Every Day is Special 

TWIST lots of colour

This is the prize:

My tag has a French theme:

Some recycled packaging as a base and an old sheet of decoupage......

A butterfly and a heart

A sentiment chip.......

All about love and romance and travel......

Still five days to enter!

You can go

HERE

and scroll to the Link - remember, no stamps please!

Love and Challenges

Unstampabelles has a current challenge asking you to create anything papery that will make someone's life special:

#70: Every Day is Special 

TWIST lots of colour

There is a prize:

the ruler gives a size indication

Hopefully this photo will make your life feel special as well!

Gorgeous Tassie Devil pups playing near Arthur River on Tassie’s north-west coast thanks to Georgina Andersen who says:

"Tasmanian devil pups love playing and soaking up the sun outside their den. I was lucky enough to find a wild devil den through my research on the species and have spent many an hour watching them."

www.instagram.com/georgina_andersen

Isn't that just adorable! Love their red ears!

I made a card for someone I love who is going through a hard time at the moment:

I can write a note inside 

A different angle

I took my inspiration from Pinterest - thanks 

You can go to Unstampabelles 

HERE 

and enter your project for the challenge. 

Remember - no stamps please!

Vintage Card for CWD

Hello Peeps!

Just found out that I have passed my third unit at Uni - Photography for Social Media. Feeling particularly good about this one as my skills with the camera were very rusty before I started. There are a few spots rubbed off now and I appreciate all those wonderful photographers out there much more!

We have had a real cold snap lately, and although the days are without rain (we need it again) it had been pretty bloody cold first thing in the morning. When I came across this photo, I had to share it - it shows exactly how cold it has been here this week as well as being an amazing photo!

WOW… Meander Falls froze again this weekend! Thanks to Ben for sharing his amazing adventure.

www.instagram.com/b3n_k_ 

In the heart of the Great Western Tiers is the magnificent Meander Falls, a large waterfall in the alpine regions of the Meander River ❄ Located over 1000 metres above sea level, care needs to be taken to ensure the weather is suitable for the journey. Snow can occur all year round in the area, and hikers are advised to be well prepared for the walk. The walk commences from the Meander Falls car park area, where various different hikes can be taken to Meander Falls

This time at Crafting with Dragonflies, Hilde has asked for a Vintage Card. 

This was photographed in natural light at the end of a day

This was the same place but with a flash - the colours are richer and you can see the gold sparkle on the mounts, and hessian flowers but the bronze sequins look black

The lady is a DarkRoom Door chip - she looks quite sweet

That's my vintage for the week!!!!

You can enter over at 

Crafting with Dragonflies 

The challenge is open for a fortnight

Smash Book - what is that!

A Smash Book is a kind of journal - in my case,  one where I experiment with techniques and try and get arty - and I have a record of it. I use an old book by Jane Fonda with a hardback cover. I tear out some pages, glue up some more and then gesso an open double page to work in.

This page was done in a futile attempt to get my mojo working again!!!!

It is still a bit wet here - the photo's are Darkroom Door chips.

Gesso, sprays, paints, tissue, tape stencils, chips, texture paste......

This page was meant to be quieter but it lost it's steam and the texture paste camera in white doesn't show out at all well. The quote  strip is impossible to read also here.

This is for the  July Unstampabelle's challenge 

#70: Every Day is Special 

TWIST lots of colour

Living each day is special - lot's of people don't manage that! 

Some live but in a world without colour.  Let's brighten up their world. 

My Smash Page is meant to be a celebration of life  and the enjoyment that being young and single can bring to us all......

This is the prize:

The ruler indicated the size of the die

Here is something to inspire you even more!

From the top of Mt Wellington at sunrise.....

this was on the Hobart and Beyond website last week

Oooooh looky here! You can almost feel the briskness in the air as this intrepid photographer braved the cool (read freezing!) of the morning to capture sunrise from Mt Wellington / kunanyi. Alex did not that he hit the snooze button one time too many and as such, it is the latter half of the sunrise we are seeing but hey, who's complaining? 
Image: www.instagram.com/spurwaya

Every Day is Special at Unstampabelles

The challenge at Unstampabelles (#70) is to recognise the fact that every day is Special  - and mark in somehow. You need to do this without using a stamp of any type. You can make anything you want as long as it is a paper craft.

I think it is important to recognise both the big and small times of our lives - and in the lives of others. Often a word or a smile can make a positive impact on someone and be unknown to you.

I have to thank our neighbour for a kindness to our family during recent times. There was a big birthday celebration here and she assisted us to smooth the path of this celebration. I have made a small gift bag to contain a note and a movie ticket as a thank you to her.

The feather 'quill' was to represent the writing of the note.....

The note and the ticket slip into the container and are tied in with the ribbon

I used pixie dust to create my colourful background

Love the gold stuff!

A sunset yesterday - dark clouds but beautiful colours too. 

Slip over to Unstampabelles and see the other work from the DT and then enter your piece. 

ON Time!

I am on time for Crafting with Dragonflies - what is happening, is the sky falling in?

This last weekend we have been hosting my stepson and his lovely family from Canberra as he is celebrating a big milestone birthday! My Grandson is now nearly as tall as me and my Granddaughter is taller! His cake was organised by his sister and made here and they were asked to supply the ideas for decorations - some of his favourite things - so apart from nominating themselves, it was the cats, crosswords and red wine!

Looks good eh!

It was a great party!!!

We are currently still hosting various friends and relatives, so this post is quick!

The challenge at Dragonflies this fortnight is to Use Punches and/or Dies in making a card!

The card below is made using the new Eastern Palace die set from Stampin' Up and the card itself is a direct copy of one by Tashana Lundy. It is so pretty.

I used stickers from the suite as well as some new ink pads and the sentiment - which is white embossed and fussy cut. Gold sequins finished it off. Can you spot my error?

The other team members over at Crafting with Dragonflies have made some fabulous stuff as well - you should go and see it!