Art-filled Weekend... Here We Come!

Jhodi Bennet, Debbi Baker and Me!

Here we are, in 2007, at the Artistic Journey retreat in Fremantle.  I just love these girls to bits!  I can't believe it's taken us this long to have another weekend together!  We're off to our secret, secluded location this afternoon and planning on having lots of artful and fun moments.

Silly me, had this photo taken with my lovely Michael DeMeng necklace hanging backwards!  All you can see is the computer chip that his stunning artwork was built upon.  I must take a pic of the front and share it with you soon!

But for now, it may be a little quiet here on the blog, as I think I'll have very limited internet access over the next four days.  Have a great weekend and if possible make art too! 

Published - Copper Poppies

As seen in Cardmaking Stamping & Papercraft Vol 14 No11

A number of years ago, I was able to go to an Artistic Journey Retreat with my friend Jhodi in Fremantle and it was there that I met and made a new wonderful friend, Debbi.  All three of us shared a hotel room together at the retreat and had a fabulous creative time with some great classes and amazing tutors.  Jhodi, Debbi and I are having a little retreat of our own this weekend and we're making it an extra long weekend.  I'm so excited to be able to spend time with these two very talented, encouraging and generous women.  I think we're in for a fantastic and fun-filled time!

  At the Artistic Journey retreat in Fremantle, I was able to participate in a jewellery making class taught by Nina Bagley.  She is a fabulous tutor from the US and if you're ever able to do one of her classes I would highly recommend her!  Nina taught us some fabulous techniques, including a number of ways to make use of 'copper mesh'.  In our enthusiam to want to play further with copper mesh, Jhodi, Debbi and I all bought more!  Well mine sat around for quite a while until one day I thought about stitching and stamping on it!  That's how this project started... I even made a little handbag for this project!  And I've used it on the odd occasion too! 

10 Quick Cards

' 10 Quick Cards' as seen in Stamping Cardmaking & Papercraft Vol 15 No 10

I'm having the loveliest of times catching up with wonderful 'old' friends at the moment, so at there isn't time to play in my 'studio'.  I've got a very creative long weekend coming up this weekend, with some very special artful friends, so hopefully there will be more current work to show you next week!

In the meantime, here's a set of cards I made using the Cricut and gorgeous Heather Bailey rub-ons.  Sweet and simple!

Home For The Weekend - PDCC95

'Home For The Weekend'

Oh the bliss and sweet joy of a day spent at home on the weekend! 

This Saturday was a home day.  A stay in your pyjamas all day and play at home, kinda day.  So that meant I got to play along with the artists over at The Play Date Cafe Challenge #95.  See the inspirational photographs below.

It was a great feeling to finally put ink to this Stampington rubber that has been sitting on the shelf for a while.The Tim Holtz die was the starting point and then it grew like topsy.  I can hear my heart whispering (might even be shouting) to make sure I have time at home on the weekends!

Well I have yet to do my packing... and some of the planning I was talking about yesterday.  I now have a touch of European envy and am pondering if/when I may walk upon the streets of Paris?  I know my friend will have an amazing time and I can't wait to hear all about her travel adventures.

Anyway, I'm having myself a little adventure today.  I'm meeting up with a long time friend and her family - they have travelled right across the other side of the country to visit me.  We are all staying together in a accomodation unit near the beach.  I'm heading there straight after work today, which means I REALLY need to get packing!

Live In The Moment - Grungy Monday 20

'Live In The Moment'

It's a 'Distress Stickles Party' over at Grungy Monday Challenge 20.  It's pretty hard to pick up the effect the Black Soot Distress Stickles has left on the scan of this tag, but I can assure you there's a dab of it here and there on the flowers at the bottom of the tag and a large dollop of it on the bird.

And here are more words speaking to my heart today...  'Live in the Moment'!  I have a crazy, busy few weeks heading my way, filled with lots of special people and exciting events. I've got quite a bit of packing and planning to do (you know, the boring stuff) and because there are a number of things all happening at once, I need to take to care to 'live in the moment' and not be too caught up with concerning myself with what is coming up next, or it will all be such a whirl-wind that I won't remember any of the extra special moments.

So today's beautiful moments that are heading my way are... spending time with my adorable nephew, catching up with a friend (who is leaving soon for a holiday to Europe - so excited for her!) and a singing rehersal with some awesome muso's for a concert in a couple of weeks time.  Oh and packing for two trips away in this coming week!!!

I hope too, that today, you may be able 'Live in the moment and make it so beautiful that it will be worth remembering'.  I'll do the same and hang out the washing now, because that kind of moment isn't really worth remembering.

Let Your Heart Lead The Way

Inkurable Stampers has a new challenge out for this month - it's a sketch challenge.  I have had very little time to create in the past couple of weeks (and I'm getting twitchy), so I thought I'd start with a challenge this morning to get 'kick started' for the long list of creative 'to do's' that are needing some attention this weekend!  I thought this would be a quick way to start - well in the end, that wasn't the case, but it has lead me to really begin to ponder the sentiment I used for this card, which just might be a good thing!  I pretty much pulled this sentiment out, with very little thought, because I imagined it would fit on the label just perfectly.  Now I've finished this card, I'm actually thinking a bit deeper about it's meaning.  I do have a tendancy to be led by my head... looking at the pros and cons of a situation, weighing everything up - and taking an awfully long time to make a decision.  I think it's a protective thing... perhaps it's been born out of fear or the consequences of making a bad decision?  Anyway, I don't know that being led by your head, well my head at least, is always a good thing either.  It may well be time to 'Let My Heart Lead The Way' for a change!  So that is the challenge I have given myself for the immediate future, to allow my heart to lead the way a little more and I'm going to keep a record of how I'm going in this card.  Have you got a challenge or two like this that you're working on?  Is there some kind of fear or boundary that you need to overcome or break?  If you're brave enough, let me know what it is and how things are working out for you.

I've used Basic Grey papers from the 'Porcelain' paper pad collection, the label is by Spellbinders, heart punch by Carl - onto which I added a layer of black soot distress embossing powder and starlight silver brilliance ink.

Published - Little Birds

'Little Birds' as seen in Cardmaking Stamping & Papercraft Vol 17 No 6

I really loved working with this gorgeous plate of stamps by Oxford Impressions...

along with some beautiful Kaisercraft papers.

Sing Out

'Sing Out'

So there's a little story behind this ATC...  My friend Amanda challenged me to make a card using this small piece of wood (that had somehow attached itself to my scarf) and her gum wrapper (that I rescued just before she tossed it in the bin)!  I was awake in the wee hours this morning and put this piece together just for her!  Not sure if she'll like it, but hopefully she'll be a little impressed with what you can do with 'junk'!

Published - For The Grandparents

As seen in Cardmaking Stamping & Papercraft Vol 15 No 1.

This card was designed to give to Grandparents in celebration of the birth of a Granddaughter, but could easily be adapted for a Grandson.  I've used the Cricut machine to create this card.

Spotlight - TMTA Circle

'Spotlight'

Over at Think Monday Think ATC the challenge for the week is 'Circle/Round'.  The focal image is from ARTchix Studios.  Circles were made from sequin waste, cardboard tube, sequins, gemstones and a Stampington postal stamp cube.

TPDCC #93 - Fleur

'Fleur'

The Play Date Cafe Challenge #93 (see photo below) is the inspiration for this ATC.  I've used some ARTchix collage papers, gesso, sequin waste (as a stencil) and Brilliance ink pads to create the background.  Stamped images:  Stitched trim (Oxford Impressions), Postal stamps (Stampington) and 'Four-Leaf Clover' (Stampington).

It's been wonderful to start the weekend with a touch of creativity!  I hope you get some time for creative and inky fun this weekend too - if that's what your heart would so desire :)

She Sells Seashells - TMTA Transparent

'She Sells Seashells' ATC

The current challenge at Think Monday Think ATC is 'transparent'.  A scrap of bubble wrap inspired this ATC!  I used a section of bubble wrap to print ink onto the background paper.  For the foreground, I popped the bubbles to help flatten the texture, stapled it to the ATC and added a little gesso and ink to the lower section of the bubble wrap.

All stamped images are from Dark Room Door's 'Seashells' stamp set and the lovely collage image is by ARTchix studios.

Singer Sewing Machine

As I mentioned recently, I am participating in small postcard exchange group this year.  The theme for June was 'Victorian'.  I was having trouble finding inspiration for this theme and resorted to using 'Google' for some assistance!  I discovered that the Singer Sewing Machine scaled for home use was patented in the Victorian Era (1854) by Isaac Merritt Singer. When I came across this useful information I finally knew which direction to take! And lo and behold, I had the perfect images in a new Oxford Impressions plate I had received recently, Sewing Notions.

There's quite a bit of layering of papers and paint and ink and tissue tape (another new love). This piece is almost completely flat, except for one little black safety pin. All the other sewing notions are stamped... I'm surprised that I didn't use any other 3D notions or fabric or trims or ribbon, but well, I haven't!

Life's Journey - Grungy Monday 18

'Life's Journey'

Grungy Monday 18 challenges it's participants this week to incorporate techniques from Tim Holtz' 12 Tags of Christmas...(Day 8).  I focused on two of the techniques, 'baking vellum' and 'water flicking'... both something I haven't tried quite like this before.  I couldn't find plain vellum at home (although I'm sure I have plenty somewhere), so I used a patterned one instead and it didn't seem to affect the result.

All stamp images are by Tim Holtz.  I stamped a map of Paris onto the vellum and coloured it with 'tattered rose' and 'milled lavender' ink.  I then continued working around this colour palette for the rest of the piece.

I'm thinking I might just use this tag then next time I get the oportunity to jump on a plane and visit a new part of the world!

Circus Act

'Circus Act' Postcard

This year I'm participating in a postcard swap group.  Last month's theme was 'bicycles'. 

All these wonderful stamped images are by Tim Holtz. I really enjoyed putting this piece together, attempting to give it a 'Big Top' feel. What a hunky strong man!!!! My how he can balance!

Published - Beach Party

'Beach Party' as see in Cardmaking Stamping and Papercraft Vol 17 No 2.

These October Afternoon stamp images are adorable!  It was great fun preparing the tin and stamping on it.  I hadn't stamped on anything like that before!