Challenge#104 at Unstampabelles: the Phoenix

 Hi Peeps....today it is time for the third week of the challenge at Unstampabelles to begin.  I made another card for a woman - someone who has faced uncertainty and made it through the hard times. 

RECIPE:

Take one embossing folder, three die cut feathers and one quote printed off the computer

To the sheet of quote, add various inks (I smeared my small inks over the top - 

it is a bit too dark but I wanted the sense of fire).

Emboss a sheet of card (colour choice is yours: mine is SU Misty Moonlight)

This folder is Culture Creations - Vintage Plumes

(It has a feathery look and also created movement)

The feathers were die cut from three different scraps (silver, gold and grey

Add bling

Mount the piece on suitable card

(SU Bumblebee and Real Red)

So, that's it. 

You have two weeks left to enter.

A Phoenix from the Ashes!

 Hi Peeps

Over at Unstampabelles the second week of the current challenge has just begun

The theme is The Phoenix or Rising Above (adversity or trouble)

I made a card to give to a female friend who has had a bad year but is surviving....
I took a sheet of w/c paper and halved it
It is cold pressed so has a bit of tooth but is not very rough.

I started by using my newly acquired dot daubers from Jane Davenport
I saw someone painting with these and followed the idea
Just dab them onto my glass and spray with water and then use  paintbrush to apply

I had drawn an outline with pencil and using that I added some w/c paints 

I managed to get a big blob of red as well - of ink so it would not spread but I am ignoring it!

Then I used my fine line pen (after drying the sheet a bit) to put the black lines in

I added the sentiment to a sheet of scrap and painted it as well before

cutting it up and adding black ink on the edges.

When it was stuck down, I wrote the name of the person the quote is supposed to belong to....

...and some bling.

I forgot to do the twist but my w/c paper is textured......does that count?

A bookmark to mark September!

 Hello Peeps

I have a bookmark to share with you - made with Darkroom Door Stamps (the old ones) 

 and it is for the DT at Bizzy Bec's September challenge - 

Always Anything Goes

My stamp set  is Book Worm DDRS 139 

The card is scraps of Stampin' Up card and 

old Designer papers

This was using up stuff I have on my desk, trying to clear up a space 

Sometimes you want a big book mark 

This one is a tag rather than a bookmark but it works well

The book is a great read too if you haven't come across it yet

Set in Tasmania, with all the places I know and characters

 I can relate to - a political romance thriller. 

Fits nicely in the book

The sentiment is quite prophetic lately......

You have a month to enter the challenge at Bizzy Bec's!

Last Week of Unstampabelles Challenge#103

Cradle Mountain Lodge (Cradle Mountain, TAS, Australia)

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One word...... SNOW!

(Pic via Jacque Beven Photography)

It's the end of winter here and we are having a cold front go through - it has been raining and cold all week but enough sun to make it feel very Spring like!

As this is the last week of the challenge over at Unstampabelles and I have been seeing some wonderful entries over there, especially of art journal pages, I decided to have a go with my art journal and also at the same time try out some new bits I recently got from Jane Davenport for journalling.

As I was trying out new paints and a new technique, this is a CASed piece. However, I cannot remember whose work it was and I didn't take a note so if it is yours, please let me know so I can credit the right person with it. Mine is not exactly the same but it is quite like it.

The challenge is 

Good News

and the TWIST was to make your own background

I started with a photograph image from a magazine

and just cut out the face to use

My journal has several pages where I have being playing with a gel plate 

and cleaning off rollers and I chose this one because of the colours.

This became my homemade background

The paints I used,apart from Modge Podge to glue down the face and glasses, 

were the Jane Davenport bits I have accumulated.

This is all the paint I used and not all of that!

The sunglasses were from google images and printed off and then cut out

 and stuck with Modge Podge.

I hand drew the arrows - initially I was going to cut them out of paper but I didn't like the 

result so threw them away and hand drew the arrows. 

The saying is exactly from the one I copied.

It is good news in this time of pandemic

We need to believe in ourselves a little more in this time of isolation.......

Many of you have commented on the fact that your mojo is hiding away atm

So is mine but by forcing myself to make this I enjoyed a good period of time when I did

not think of the trouble this world is in and just concentrated on making something creative. 

It was fun!

Why not have a go at an art journalling page?

Nothing is wrong and if you don't like it you just paint over it with some black gesso!

See you over at Unstampabelles!

Awesome News! Challenge#103 at Unstampabelles

The current challenge theme at Unstampabelles is all about 

GOOD NEWS

and the TWIST for the challenge is to make your own background

I made another card this time

It's been a busy week really - Hubby had a stint in hospital with pneumonia and then there are al the follow up appointments and checks and stuff....

It gets a bit hard to fit everything in.

BUT.....

the good news is that he is doing OK!

There are many times when we hear good news but don't acknowledge it in any way except perhaps verbally to someone. To have a card to send or pass on acknowledging that the recipient is to be congratulated for this piece of news is a positive thing - the person has it to hold onto and perhaps display over time. 

My background was to create a quilted patchwork sheet

I started by selecting some papers that went together - these have a slightly male look to them I think.

I cut them into squares - mine are about 3.2 cm square

I placed them onto  the card in a pleasing pattern and then glued them into place, trimming the edges to create a card front.

This was the result

Then I used an embossing folder--this is the argyle pattern one from Stampin' Up.

You can see the pattern on the back of the sheet and then below on the front - 

it is quite subtle.

Then I just added the sentiment and mounted thefront piece onto a card blank.

The second half of my sentiment was computer generated. 

I should have possible used blue ink rather than black

It looks fresh and clean

What are you going to create here?

The theme is GOOD NEWS and that can be general or specific, right?

You have three weeks left to enter at Unstampabelles.

Welcome Little Joe Joe!

Hi folks

Hope all are keeping well and no one is testing positive!

This month over at Unstampabelles there is a new challenge 

Good News

with a TWIST of making your own backgrounds

I have a new Great Great Nephew - Joe - born about 12 days ago in Brisbane.

He has had some health issues but the good news is he is a bonny little scrapper 

and he is currently doing well.

He was born with a full head of black straight hair!

This card is for him.......

My background in this piece is the embossed card as the base  to be mounted on the card

I used some pieces from an older Kaiser kit and the blue stars are from my stash and are quite old!

The embossing folder I used is one from SU - I thought it had a bit of a masculine look

I added a yellow doily for contrast and interest

You have four weeks to enter this challenge

Life is Like a Box of Chocolate.....

I have never seen Forest Gump. However, I do know this quote -- which I have misquoted --- and it seemed right somehow.

For week 3 at Unstampabelles this month, I have made a chocolate block cover. I CASed it from another crafter who had kindly added her measurements for the box and for the papers. I didn't exactly follow all the bits but made it a a bit cleaner and more simple.

The challenge #102 at Unstampabelles this month is 

Relationships that can be Celebrated!

Our TWIST this month is to work with pairs!

So, I have a pair of flowers, and two different kinds!

I have made a chocolate bar cover to celebrate my relationship love/hate relationship with 

chocolate - I love it; it hates me!

(I am allergic to it) 

Therefore I don't get to eat much but I sneek a nibble every now and then.....

This cover is the right size for a normal block of Cadbury

I used some new product from Stampin' Up and the DP is from a new set (Forever Greenery) 

and I have used the latest green card in the In Colour range

Just Jade

The flowers come from my stash and the tag as well

I have handwritten on it using an SU marker.

The velvet ribbon is wrapped around it to keep the cover closed 

and I used a scrap on the bottom on top of the Martha Stewart punched piece

I think it will make a great Christmas gift for those small gifts we give to friends and family

Your relationship might be with hubby, family, children or friends

It could be with your animals or with nature generally

Whatever you choose!

Just ell us about it. 

You have two weeks left to get an entry in......

Covid 19 verses Me!

Hello Peeps!

Hope you are keeping well!

Bloody Covid 19 is causing havoc still I notice........

To my friends in quarantine..........

I headed to the craft cave to survive where I and my trusty helper (cough, cough) played

 around a bit...

"What goes in here Mum? Will I fits?"

We worked on something for Week 2 at Unstampabelles

where Challenge #102 is about 

Celebrating Relationships!

The TWIST is about working in pairs

Now, I have been told before that I have a twisted sense of humor

and I think this is probably why--my relationship I am celebrating is my love of 

TRAVEL

This is what we created!

It is celebrating the memories from my world travel in the past......

In this case, well in the past when I was in my early 30's before I was married

I loved Paris and the  Pompidou Centre is one of my favorite museums

I have used two photo chips from Dark Room Door

and part of a sentiment strip as well, making the word memories red

The word dies are from Sizzix (TH) and the Covid19 stuff 

from Uniquely Creative - Lockdown 2020 (cut apart sheet)

The papers are from my stash

It's a baggage tag!!!

Well a tag

I love the Covid bugs and the cut apart sheet cost $2 and is just so funny!

I thought it was a bit of fun to cheer us all up!

There are lots of relationships we can celebrate

- might do one with Mr Weasley next???

You have three weeks to enter at Unstampabelles!

Positive Life

Hello Peeps

Another post for my Design Team at A Place to Start 

The theme is 

FLOWERS - (FLOWERS, FLORAL PAPERS, ETC)

Firstly, Happy 4th of July to all my American friends

Please stay safe with the Corona Virus doing its thing!

I know it is summer in the northern hemisphere, but here in the South we are mid-winter

We have had lots of rain and some snow but generally it has been

quite blue skies but cold - however, in the national parks there is lots of snow as well!

samhbarnard (Via IG)

Twisted Lakes, Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park.

Tasmania Parks and Wildlife Service

Visit Cradle Coast

#discovertasmania

Now, the theme being flowers was the perfect opportunity to use my new die and stamp set

from Uniquely Creative (Australian company) called Positivity.

I used their w/c pens to colour with as well but forgot to stamp on w/c paper and just used 

SU Whisper White which didn't work as well for swishing the inks around.

However, it is OK

I used some texture paste underneath and a TH stencil before swishing it through the paint.

The stencil is a nice clean cut too.

The sentiment comes from the same set.

Different light gives it a different look.

I stood the flowers and the words up on dimensionals

The ink is Rangers black.

I mounted it onto some Real Red Card from SU before attaching it to the card.

There you have it - today's card is relatively simple and quick to colour with the 

w/c paint pens. 

What are you going to produce for the challenge at 

A Place to Start 

A Helping Hand

Hello Peeps - I have been a bit quiet lately but all is good. No-one is ill - just quiet!

However, I have a card due for Bizzy Bec's so back to my desk I went!

July Challenge -   Anything Goes

I have featured stamps and dies from 

My Favorite Things

Why?

Bizzy Bec is now going to carry these on her website.

Back in the day when the Australian dollar had parity with the US dollar

and I was still doing a bit of relief teaching and so had some discretionary money

I used to occasionally purchase some of the MFT product direct from USA.

I loved their stuff - particularly their excellent dies known as Dienamics

I had a look at their store page and guess what - lots of the sets I have are still featured.

So I made one of those dreaded male cards....

My Favorite Things (Dienamics Dies)

Using the sets Let's Tool Around

Peg Board

Tool Time Dienamics

The background is from my stash

Inks are from Tim Holtz and Ranger

Tools painted with watercolours

There is a bit of layering with handles and such on the tools 

I like the rustic look of it

My painting does not bear close inspection though!

We have had lots of rain lately but there have also been some lovely blue winter days

My constant companion supervising me photographing the garden....