Japanese ?

Hello again. This is my creation for this evening. It has a Japanese feel about it to me what about you? I used my brayer and sponging to get the effects I wanted in the right places. It was a nice project to work on and the orange sky has made me think about an African safari scene. I have an Acacia tree stamp (2 in fact)so I might just do one of those whilst I'm in the mood. I'll probably talk to you tomorrow but Thursday is a busy day for me as I have swimming and aqua aerobics (known as Nifty Fifties) in the morning and then I walk with a couple of friends in the afternoon so not a lot of spare time. We may also go to the movies tomorrow evening to see Shutter Island so I'll just have to see how my time goes. Hope you all had a good day today.

Another beautiful day . . . .

. . . .in paradise. It's just gorgeous here again. The sky is soooo blue and the sun is shining making it very warm outside. Summer is trying to make up for lost time I think. It is really far too nice to be inside but I felt a slight stirring in my Mojo this morning and completed this before going for my swim at lunchtime. I have been researching handmade flowers recently. I have decided to put together a class making several different kinds of flowers and see what it turns out like. There are some great tutorials out there on the Internet (where would we be without it?) The roses at the bottom right of this card are my first attempt. (Don't say "Yes I can tell" because that's not nice LOL) I think the double sided card is perhaps a bit too thick so I have tried some with copy paper. They were certainly easier to model so perhaps I'll do some more, but flash them up a bit next time. Thanks for stopping by and I hope you too have a lovely day where ever you are

Cabin on the Lake

I'm back again with something a little more worthy this time. I went back to my brayer and beloved trees for this one. I haven't done a brayer scene since before Christmas so I really enjoyed it. It's maybe a little too big for a card so I might just frame it and give it as a picture gift. (The black background isn't part of the artwork. I just lay the artwork on it to take the photo.) It's whetted my appetite for my brayer again so who knows what tomorrow may bring. I'm off to bed with my book now (once I've cleaned up my inky fingers that is!!) 'Night 'night.

Where Did That Week Go?

I can't believe a week has gone by since I posted something and I don't have much to show you either. I have been busy - honestly I have. I have been writing and testing class instructions which takes forever. I have also been watching The Olympic Games on TV. I love my sport so I have been enjoying that. What else? Well on Saturday a dear, long time friend who deserted these shores for Aussie some 30 years ago came to visit with her husband and the four of us had a wonderful couple of hours catching up over scones and a cuppa. Sunday I drove up to see our eldest daughter and our two youngest grandchildren (8 and 6) so that was a delightful day as always when I see them. Then yesterday I met our eldest grandaughter (20 and sibling to the other two) in Wellington and we went to The Anne Frank Exhibition at Te Papa and then had lunch together and a good chat. She is great and I am so proud of her. She starts uni next Monday studying early childhood education. So here we are a week on. These two cards are an experiment with shadow technique. It is much easier to do with clear stamps but it is still possible with wooden block stamps and a stamp positioner. So nothing exciting to show you but I am still working at my desk so I might manage to come up with something this afternoon. If I do I'll post it later. Thanks for visiting today.

Shrove Tuesday

I usually forget Shrove Tuesday util it's too late but they were talking about it on TV this morning so guess what we're having at our house today? Yum Pancakes!!! with lemon and sugar for me thanks. Anyway Good Morning Everyone. Just to show you that I am up early-ish in the day I am doing an early post. I was just washing the breakfast dishes and thinking about new creations (as you do!!) when I remembered this book I made some while ago. Remember I told you the other day how much I love the poem Lovely As A Tree? Well I incorporated it with another love of mine - Star Books. I created the front and back covers and the inside pages with my brayer and stamps. The text I used my Xyron Design Writer for. I don't use it a lot but for tricky placments of text it is just great. That reminds me our daughter has borrowed it at the moment to try it out. Lots of photos with this post and I hope you love this as much as I do. Needless to say I couldn't bring myself to give it away so it lives with me - forever!! I'm off for my swim just shortly but have to do some ironing first. Yuk!!! Have a good day all of you and thanks for visiting.

NZ Silver Fern

Well black and white fern actually. I told you this format would look great with a NZ fern as the image didn't I? I think you'll have to agreee that it does. I had a day off from crafting yesterday but I have been busy today writing class instructions and completing this last black and white card ready for classes to begin in early March. The instructions take forever to write and check and I'm glad to say that I only have one more set to write which I hope to do tomorrow as it's almost bedtime - again!!! 'Night, 'night, sleep tight and thanks for stopping by.

Japanese Doll

Hi again.  I just had to share this wee cutie with you tonight.  Yesterday I was browsing the Internet looking at demo videos, saw this little lady (or one very like her) and fell in love with her.  So this afternoon's fun was trying to remember the demo and make one of my own.  She turned out quite well but I will be ready for a couple of tricky bits when I make her some friends.

Wet and blustery . . . .

. . . .today.  We didn't get to do our coastal walk yesterday either because it was wet so we went to the movies instead.  We saw My Sister's Keeper.My friend Di was a complete emotional mess by the end.  I managed to hold it together for most of the movie.  Just twice I had a weep.  A good movie even though they did change the end.  More wet weather today but with strong winds as well.  My husband played Interclub golf - the first match of the new season so it certainly wasn't a good day for that.  Whilst he was away this little mouse had a good play!!  Again something a bit different, from one of my many magazines.  We are fortunate to have a glass etching shop where I live and the lovely lady there GAVE me two pieces of sandblasted glass to have a play with.  Wasn't that nice of her?  I have promised to take my creations back to show her.  You get to see creation number one before her as she doesn't open on Saturday. As I told you it is done on a piece of sandblasted glass and I worked on the rough side.  I tore myself some hills from scrap paper and used the torn paper to mask off the lower portion of the glass while I 'painted' the sky with a Brilliance Ice Blue pad.  I set the ink with my heat gun and when the glass cooled down I added more ink, repeating the process until I was happy with the colour.  I used the hills mask again to protect the sky and 'painted' the hills with a Brilliance Copper pad.  I then 'painted' the very bottom of my piece with a Brilliance Ivy Green pad.  Each time I heat set the ink and kept adding layers until I was happy with the colour.  I had worked out my stamp placement ahead of time by doing a mock up on scrap paper so then it was easy to use Timber Brown Staz On to stamp my tree branches, butterfly, verse and grasses in place.  I found a little bee charm in my stash and attached him with Dimensional Magic.  I cut two pieces of 4mm dowel slightly wider than my glass.  I twisted gold wire to make a hanger and attached it to the top dowel holding it in place with Dimensional Magic.  With the bottom rod I just added twisted gold wire at each end and added a little butterfly charm onto one of them.  The butterfly was silver so I rubbed him on the brown Staz On pad and heat set the ink before attaching him.  I used Dimensional Magic to attach the rods to the top and bottom of the glass.  You do need to be patient and give one time to dry before attaching the other one.  You also need to be patient after heat setting things otherwise you will have burnt fingers.  Ask me how I know!!!!!!!

Washi Paper Quilt

Well it's only mid afternoon and here I am posting today's effort!!! AND I was at the pool all morning for my swim and then Nifty Fifties aquaerobics, Oh I am feeling so self righteous. I can just hear my Mum saying 'Pride comes before a fall my girl!' and she was usually right so I'd better get on with it. Am I pleased with this card? Yes I am. It takes a little while but it is quite soothing making the sixteen little 'pillows'ready for the assembly. The hard part is choosing which gorgeous washi papers to use. I think the next one I do I will use pretty pastel papers. I think this could/would be a good technique for a class. It is certainly different and I like different things. It stops us getting in a rut and always doing what we are comfortable with. Step outside your comfort zone every now and then. Don't think I'll talk to you tomorrow as we are going on a coastal walk which takes up most of the day. I hope the weather plays it's part as the tides are just perfect for doing the walk. I'll probably talk to you again over the weekend. Make sure you enjoy the weekend especially if you are a worker. Bye for now.

Japanese Washi Papers

Sorry to be so late again but I've been talking on the phone (craft ideas of course) with my good friend Ali and now here we are at almost bedtime again. And it was such a busy day that I only got this simple card done when I had intended to have two to show you. Never mind tomorrow is another day as they say and I hope I'll have the more complicated one for you then. The technique is to make little 'pillows' using card, very thin foam and Japanese washi papers. I have loved these papers FOREVER and was pleased to find this technique to use them in a different way. I did this simple card first to be sure I was getting the assembly of the 'pillows' right so now I will do the more complicated version. Thanks for visiting.

Lovely as a Tree

Another busy day nearly over but I've just got time to post this before bed.  This is my evenings work.  Don't you just love trees?  How many tree stamps have you got?  Dare you tell or is it an embarassing number like me?  For some people it's shoes - for me it's tree stamps.  So, I used two different ones on this card - or rather I used one and part of another one.  I over stamped them after creating the background with my brayer and torn paper.  Check out the verse inside.  Doesn't it almost bring a lump to your throat?  I love this poem.  The card is for my husband's cousin who spends lots of time outdoors tramping and climbing so I thought an outdoor scene was appropriate.  I hope to have something really different to share tomorrow.  I sent away for the instructions and they arrived today so I hope I get time to play tomorrow.  Call back then and see if I succeeded.  For now though 'night 'night and sleep tight all those of you on my side of the world.  Have a good day if you are on the other side of the world.

Black and White Feathers

Hello again. I guess the house seemed a little quiet today with all our visitors gone but I had a very busy day. We (Harold and I) got up at 3am and watched one of my favourite stampers, Barbara Gray, live from UK TV, on our laptop. We watched fascinated for two hours whilst she stunned us with more wonderful creations. I'll be trying some of her new ideas for sure. Isn't my husband great to get up with me at that hour to watch? We fell back into bed at 5 to catch a couple more hours. Harold then went off to golf for the day and I cycled to the pool for my swim. This afternoon was spent researching materials (stamping of course) on the Internet and then this evening I have created another black and white card. I love this technique. This feather quill is the only long stamp I have but I might just have to buy a silver fern for this card. Wouldn't that be just the best stamp to create this card to send to someone overseas? Keep on enjoying the beautiful weather and thanks for visiting.

T.G.I.F

Thank God it's Friday I say what about you?  Can't believe another week has sped by though.  A busy Friday for me today as we have all the family coming for a farewell tea for my nephew and niece-in-law.  They leave for home on Sunday morning after a wonderful six weeks or so in our beautiful country. So  - things returning to a more even keel next week with visitors gone and Grandchildren back at school.  In the meantime take a look at these lovely Divas.  Haven't tried this technique before but will definitely try it again.  Quite a stunning effect don't you think?  Thanks Ali for loaning me the stamps.  Doesn't have to be Divas of course but a stamp with quite a lot of 'solid' rubber works best I think.  Have a look at what you've got and have a go.  Must go as I've got things in the oven.  Looking forward to being a bit more consistent (was going to say regular but didn't quite like the connotations of that word!!!!!) from here on in.  Enjoy your weekend everyone.  Have fun and stay safe - especially on the roads or in the water.  Thanks for visiting.

Monday Morning . . . .

. . . .and a new month ALREADY!!! I have a precious window of opportunity as our Grandchildren have gone home to prepare for the return to school tomorrow and nephew Number Two and Wife return this afternoon from their Tiki Touring around our beautiful country.  They will be with us until next Sunday, then they fly home to the UK and much cooler temperatures than they are getting here.  Anyway 'seize the moment' (who said that?  Don't know but it's certainly true.)  It's my Niece-in-law's birthday on Thursday (she is so looking forward to having a warm/hot birthday for a change) so last night I had a go at an easel card for her.  I got one for my birthday recently and loved it (thanks Diane) so had to try one.  N.I.L likes greens and browns so this idea popped into my head.  I hope she likes it (and I hope she gets a warm/hot day too!)  I may not have a lot of creating time this week but things should be back to normal next week.  Have a good day and thanks for visiting.