Ouch!

See the straight line of a bruise under the toe nail, that's where the very large and very heavy office desk fell. Did such a good job that the Dr. recommended that it was placed in plaster! Needless to say, I've had plenty of time to play in my craft room. Hopefully one more week in plaster and then I might be able to drive the car.

Did this card using some of the Treasured Memories stamp set from Kaszazz.

Hope your fingers are getting inky. Cheers!

School Holiday Fun

I have been asked to provide a photo update on the extension - so here it is. DH has been hard at work on the timber verandah post, beams, rafters and battens, we are now waiting on the tin roof to be put on (at least DH can take a break as someone is doing this). Once the roof is on we can get started on the exterior cladding.
SCHOOL HOLIDAYS are here and it's been wet and cold, however, we did manage to meet up with some friends for our school holiday walk in the John Forest National Park. The kids are under the strict understanding that there is NO JUMPING IN PUDDLES until we're on our way back to the car from the falls. And as you can see they found the last puddle and went for broke!! We have learnt from previous walks to pack a change of clothes and I'm glad that on this occasion my Mum's house wasn't too far away. (Hot shower and a cup of tea went down a treat!)



I have been feeling a little frustrated as I haven't had the opportunity to get in the craft room and play but today I've managed to creat a couple of cards using the new Kaszazz sets. I will have a little play tomorrow as well and then I might upload a few sneak peaks as I'm going to submit some of the cards as a set to Cardmaking, Stamping and Papercraft magazine.
Hope you weekend is filled with love, art and inspiration and that you're managing to stay warm!
Cheers!

ATCs and The Extension

I've just posted off some atcs for a background swap. Talk about a challenge! This really pushed me artistically. To receive 9 different backgrounds and then having to create the foregrounds, often in styles that aren't me. The 'Think outside the box' atc is what I created for my background. Credit Card technique background using Jo Sonja's Aqua and Folk Art Antique Copper. Images are Zetty (like you couldn't tell - lol) and word stamps are from a Paper Artsy plate.


Well the frames are up and we're now waiting on delivery of the timber for the verandah posts and beams. DH will then spend a week or so notching out and putting up before we can put some tin on the roof frames. The photo above is looking at the south side of the house, craft room on your left and lounge room on your right with its big opening awaiting the french doors. The photo below is looking directly into my craft room all 3.5m x 4.4m of it! Yipee!!!

Thanks for visiting.

Cheers!

WS and Niche swap

I love it when I can kill to birds with one stone - so to speak! This is an Inchie Niche that I recently completed for a Niche Swap. Hopefully the recipient received this in the post today. This piece fits perfectly with the current Wednesday Stamper theme of 'ART' - ie use the word art in your artwork.

I have used Kaszazz chipboard letters in the background as well as felted silk waste and dominos coloured with Alcohol Inks and stamped using the beautiful Stampers Anonymous 'Artful Mosaic'. I have also used this stamp to add detail to the boarder of the Niche. I have also used Collections chipboard branches and Collection stamps.

Thanks for visiting.

Niche Swap

Here's a sneak peak at a Niche Swap piece that I've nearly finished. Lucky me, I got to spend the entire, wet and cold day in the craft room creating. The basis of this piece is a 1"x 1" inchie that will sit in the middle of the niche. The only two rules of this swap were to use an inchie and a 6"x6" stretched canvas frame. I want give to much away about technique etc. More once my swap partner has received it.

Thanks for visiting.

Cheers!

12 Tag Techniques of T!M

During December 2007 T!m Holtz kept us all inspired with his 12 Tags of Christmas. I was so inspired I decided to host a swap were each participant picked a technique from T!m's 12 Tags of Christmas and then used this technique to create their own style of tag. The pictures that follow are the result. I hope each of the talented participants enjoy the finished product as much as I do. All tags were placed on a large hinged ring to form a swatch of T!m's techniques. All of the participants are Western Australian artists who belong to the Stampgropers yahoo group. The Tag Technique No. next to each participants name relates to the Tag No. on T!m's blog under 12 Tags of Christmas.
The Cover - using the Perfect Pearls/Distress Ink Refill Spritz technique.

Bec Lennox - Tag Technique No. 1


Genevieve Payne (mine) - Tag Technique No. 1

Jo'anne Spouse-Nastasi - Tag Technique No.7 & 5

Jen Jones - Tag Technique No. 1 & 2

Charmaine Black - Tag Technique No.5

Christina Blackburn - Tag Technique No. ?

Me again - one lady had to drop out of the swap so I did a second one so it could be a truely 12 tag swap - Tag Technique No.10

Sharon Allen - Tag Technique No.5

Nikki Blowers - Tag Technique No. 10

Michelle Smith - Tag Technique No. 7 & 9

Meredith Lane - Tag Technique No. 8

Margaret Chapman - Tag Technique No. 7

Thanks for looking, now go to Tim Holtz' blog and get your fingers inky!

Recovering

Luckily I'm not recovering from illness, just recovering my dining room chairs. The photo below is the before. As you can see the fabric is rather yuk!border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5193337997308827714" />
These two photos show 3 of the newly covered chairs. I had been given a large upholstery fabric swatch from a friend and have had it stuffed away in the cupboard for a few years now. Each of the six chairs will have a different colour scheme. I'd like to think that I'm doing my bit for the world by recycling something that I would assume is noramlly thrown out once the company has finished the fabric run.


Now these next photos show my DH in his loader pushing the sand pad in.


Now it really is a matter of waiting for the building licence approval. All things are ready to go and although it's very exciting, the waiting game is becoming frustrating.

Hope your fingers are getting inky this weekend.

Cheers!

Drosera pallida

I decided to have a play around with some of my Grungeboard and put this 12x12 SB page together yesterday morning.

The photo is of Drosera pallida or Pale Sundew. A beautiful, delicate climber that produces these amazing white flowers. I have used Peeled Paint Distress Crackle paint on the top RHS and then stamped Autumn Leaves Flourishes v.2 using Peeled Paint and Black Soot. Grungeboard flourishes have been inked with the Peeled Paint Distress Ink.

I think I'll pop this page in one of those perspex frames and hang in on a wall.

Hope you're all able to avoid the dreaded early cold - I'm off to take a home remedy and fingers crossed that it'll work!

Cheers!

A talented artist

I have been admiring the artwork of the ubber talented Nat Briney and decided that I had better purchase some of her work before Nat became too famous and I couldn't afford her! LOL

So above is my acquisition which arrived on Tuesday just gone. I haven't found the perfect home for it yet, however after a visit to the new Ikea store I've decided that the background colour will be the feature wall colour in my new bedroom and the painting will hang in there.

Speaking of the new bedroom. The frames have arrived for the extension and DH will be putting on his business hat this weekend and putting all the sand in place for the sand pad. Building licence is currently in the approval prosess (should get this by the end of the following week). Concretor is booked in for first week of May as is the plumber. Then you can all pray that the rains hold off until we get the roof on and the outside cladding and windows in, once that's done it can bucket down all it likes!

Have an inky and creative weekend.

Cheers!

Gothic Arch Challenge - We'll always have Paris

Thought I'd do a Gothic Arch Challenge. This weeks theme is 'We'll always have Paris' and wouldn't you know it, I don't own a single Paris themed stamp. So, collage it is!

Knocked this one up in about 15 minutes.

Thanks for visiting.

A Little Flourish

Had a little play in the craft room today and came up with this. I had previously done the background which is Spiced Marmalade Distress Ink mixed with water and Perfect Copper Perfect Pearls in a Mini Mister (see T!m Holtz' blog)spritzed on to the size 8 shipping tag and heat set. I was testing out a few colours and in an effort to get creative, started playing with my Autumn Leaves Flourishes V.2 set. I've used Black Soot, Spiced Marmalade and Frayed Burlap Distress Ink on the background flourishes, added an Artchix collage image and a Grungeboard flourish sponged with Spiced Marmalade Distress Ink. A few fibres through the hole at the top, a word at the bottom and viola!

What you can't see in the picture is the lovely sparkle that is achieved from the Perfect Pearls.

Thanks for dropping by.

Beaded Art Doll - Thanks Kelsey

NATS MINE

I was so looking forward to today and what a blast I had! The above photo shows the finished product. My sister, Natalie and I went along to Scraptivate and did a Beaded Art Doll class with Kelsey O'Mullane. Kelsey had the whip cracking for the first half of the day but eased up after lunch so that we could concentrate on the beading. It was lovely to share the creative zone with my sister, who hasn't done alot of this sort of stuff. Also in the zone were, Julie H whom I met for the first time;Dawn the Prawn and Nikki the Paper Pixie, Shirley from Dowerin and Karen. There was also another table of equally creative ladies but I'll have to get to know them next time.

Lots of great beading techniques were learnt as well as some tips on burning organza.

Of course I could not leave the shop without spending some money on product. I've also but my name on the wait list for the Fiberlicious class in June.

Thanks for visiting and have a great week.

12 Tag Techniques

Boy does time fly when you're having fun! I didn't realise it had been over six weeks since I'd last updated by blog....

This is a sneak peak at my tag that I've just completed 12 of (yay!) for a swap I'm hosting on stampgropers yahoo group. I was inspired and in awe of Tim Holtz's blog before christmas where he showered us with the gift of a different technique every day for 12 days! This bloke is amazing!!! So each person in the swap has choosen a technique from the 12 tags of christmas and will produce their own tag. We're not talking about christmas repetition here - we're talking putting your own spin on the technique.

I will post further updates as we get closer to close off date.

Meanwhile, I've been turning my house upside down for a couple of special rings that I misplaced! Where did I find them? In a box in amongst all my craft bits and bobs - don't ask how they got there but these were lost for a good 5-6 weeks!!

Cheers!

Dance ...

I have spent the last couple of days working on this 5"x7" canvas for a friends birthday present. I used gesso as the base then texture paste on the bottom right hand corner with Making Memories foam stamp impression. Once this was dry I applied a wash, which is a mixture of Golden's Nickel Azo Yellow and Quinacridone Burnt Orange. Next I used several pink's and oranges from my Portfolio water soluble oil pastels, as well as some gold paintstick. A little gothic text and some flourishes plus an Artchix Studio image, some wording, sunflower brads and german scrap and hey presto we're finished.

I had an idea for the Wednesday Stamper Asian theme for last week, I attempted it and quite frankly it sucks!!

Thanks for visiting.

Cheers!

Gothic Arch Challenge - Valentines

Now that my youngest is at full time school, I have some time to myself to create. I do love doing the Gothic Arch Challenges. This weeks theme is Valentines. Although my hubby and I don't do Valentines (my birthday and our wedding anniversary in March) when I saw the challenge this came to mind. Got to use some yummy T!m Holtz goodies that I had in my stash as well as a Gothic Arch background that I had created for another challenge but never got around to completing.

Next post should be for a Wednesday Stamper Asian piece that I'm working on - must wait for the layers to dry (even with the temp here in Perth hitting 37 degress C everyday for the last couple of weeks!)

Cheers!

Gothic Arch Challenge - Guardian Angels

Okay, I'm several weeks late in creating this and a couple of weeks late in posting but it's here how! Having the kids home on school holidays has meant little time for playing alone in the craft room. Bless the kiddies, but my craft room is small (but i'm thankful I've got one!) and having myself and the two kids in wanting to 'play' with my stuff is almost more than one can handle.

The base of this piece is water soluble oil pastels over Gesso. I've then photocopied a piccie of me and my sister and one of my dad. Winged frame is a stamp by Artistree from PaperForestDesigns. I've always believed that those you hold close to your heart become your Guardian Angels once they have passed away.

Thanks for coming to visit.

Cheers!

Let's try this again!

Had to make some cards for birthdays and a card swap and was looking through the Art Specailly for You card book for some inspiration when I came across a lovely card that had a wash as part of the background technqiue. The last one I've used only stamps sold by Kaszazz (for whom I'm an indepenant consultant)as it was for a card swap.

This is the 3rd time I have tried to post these images, but for some reason it keeps failing!

Good news! I will have the final plans for our house extension in my hot little email box later this morning! I just have to give the drafty the final approval and then the plans can go to the Engineer and Environmental Approvals guy then it's off to the City of Swan for building approval. I'm hoping that by the end of Feb we'll start to see some movement of soil. The whole thing is timing as we need to remove one external wall on the western side of the house, which means all manner of things may enter! Including the hot weather (if we start too soon) and cold weather and rain (if we start too late)! I will definately be posting the progress.

A little Mystery

I finally got 'round to doing my December Mystery Muse gift! After much deliberation, I just started to play around with some things that came to hand and things started to fall into place. Sometimes, I find, that I become frustrated when I start thinking too much about what to create. Just relaxing and letting my mind and hands wander produces some interesting works. I have used a Collections photo fob and embossed with Antiquitties Verdigris EP from Scraptivate (found that I had bought two jars on two occasions - don't ya hate that!). Image on transprency is a stamp from Paper Forest Designs it's one of their Artistree stamps. Charm was bought from Scraptivate. This will be on it's way to it's Mystery Muse owner today!
All comments and visits to my blog are much appreciated.
PS. The plans for the house extension are almost complete and my Studio(4.5m x 3.5m)is well on its way to being a reality!! YIPEE - complete with sink and exhaust fan - for doing all those smelly burning/soldering type things....speaking of which, this is where I currently create...

T!m Tag No. 8

My daughter Lillee and I have been following the T!m Holtz "12 Tags of Christmas" on T!m's blog (with fingers and toes crossed each day in the hope of winning one of the packs). Lillee and I spent a lovely Sunday afternoon playing the the craft room following T!m's technique for Tag 8. My tag is on the left and Lillee's is on the right. I didn't have the Lake Shore Dabber so we used Hazelnut instead. Tag 9 should be up around 6pm AWSST. You know where I'll be....!

Seasons Cheers!

Getting Creative

This atc is for a Calender Swap that I'm in. I used the inspiration of the Gothic Arch Door that I made. The lock is made with a Krafty Lady art mould and water soluble paper from The Thread Stuido. I then painted over both the embossed card and the lock with various paints (as discribed in the Gothic Arch door Blog).
This tag was made using the T!m Holtz technique for day3 of T!m's 12 Tags of Christmas. Gotta love this guy and a West Aussie has won a pack - Yipee for Natalie Briney. Keep putting a comment every day and you've got the same chance as everyone else! Merry Christmas everyone.