And so to bed . . . . .

Just before I crash into bed I will share this Hummingbird Bird card from my sample box with you.  I made the card as part of a challenge during the second half of last year.  I wasn't overly fond of the background paper I HAD to use but managed to tie the hibiscus flowers on the paper with the hibiscus flowers on the hummingbird stamp.  The background is sponged and the images painted with colour picked up with a DAMP paintbrush.  'Night ' night.

Creative Grandchildren

Hi Everyone I've had a busy few days with our two gorgeous grandchildren so I don't have a new post of my own but I can share their Lego creativity with you. Granddaughter Tayla (6) made me The Christmas Hotel and my room is the very top one so that I can "see the whole entire world from the windows". Grandson Trent (8) made me a Super Dooper Flying Digger Machine complete with turbo boosters. Trent has returned home now but Tayla has stayed on a few extra days so still busy doing cool, fun stuff. Today we enjoyed time in the pool together followed by painting a bird house. Tomorrow we are off to the library first followed by who knows what? Thanks for stopping by.

To Make Up For Yesterday

Second post for today to make up for missing yesterday.  Actually saw these two when looking through my sample box and remembered how much I love this technique so photographed them and now posting them.  It is the Spotlight and Reverse Spotlight technique.  For the reverse card I brayered the background paper and it reminded me a lovely sunset -y sky so I overstamped it with my blossom branches.  Lots of different images lend themselves to this technique.  Lots of reference sites on the internet and magazine proects for the instructions.  Well we are off to a BBQ (even though the weather is anything but BBQ-y) so I had better move right on along and get myself organised.  Our two grandchildren are coming back for another visit tomorrow so I may be a bit tied up over the next few days doing fun stuff with them. Keep busy all of you (creatively of course) and those of you in the Wellington region of NZ enjoy your Long Weekend.

A Bird in the Hand . . . .

. . . . is worth two in the bush or so the saying goes.  Well I only have ONE in the bush but I think he is lovely.  This is another from my photo files as I am experimenting at the moment and don't have a current card to Blog.  Hope you don't mind(?)  I VERY subtly sponged the background sky with a 'rough' textured sponge (if you know what I mean.  I do have some 'smooth' textured sponges too) and this gave exactly the impression I was after. I made the sponging darker at the right hand side as this is where my bush is going to be so it needed to be darker to give depth to my bush later. Then I overstamped my 'branches' (which is actually a ferny leaf) in blues and greens both first and second generation impressions to add to the illusion of depth in my bush.  Then stamped my birdie on a branch and coloured/painted him with my Marvy/Tombow markers (or whatever brand you have).  I scribble the marker onto the tin lid of my marker container(plastic plate, scrap of acetate,  ceramic tile etc) and pick up colour from there with a damp, fine-ish paintbrush. When my image was WELL dry I added a few highlights (eye, beak, tail feathers,leaves) with a white gel pen.  If you're new to white gel pens let me tell you they are great but you need a little patience.  The first time I tried mine I thought 'what a waste of time that was' because nothing showed up at all and I went off in dissappointment.  When I returned to my desk later on WOW!!  You see they just need a little time to dry and work their magic on your artwork.   I have two or three diferent kinds. (Actually I've just checked them and I have FIVE!!!) Four of them are by Sakura - 2 called Glaze, 1 called Souffle and 1 called GellyRoll medium.  These work fine but my FAVOURITE is Hybrid Gel.  Give them a try.  You'll be surprised how a few highlights make your work POP right off the page.  Thanks for stopping by again.

Apologies for Yesterday

Good Morning Everyone(Anyone)  I do have to apologise for condeming our summer to the past yesterday.  That's what comes of doing a post earlier in the day.  The sun came out and the day actally turned into the hotest of the summer by far.  By early afternoon we were looking for somwhere with a bit of breeze to cool us down.  Even the lunchtime cool down swim was short lived.  Not that I'm complaining you understand.  We need more summer days to build us up in readiness for later in the year.  Anyway I'm off out this morning so a very quick post.  I made this last night for our beautiful granddaughter's partner's 21st (work that one out!!!) which we are going to on Saturday night.  Once again inspired by Michelle Zindorf.  I don't have a skateboarder stamp so I sourced a silhouette picture from the Internet (what would we do without it????????), printed it off, cut it out and stuck it onto my brayered background and Hey Presto!.  I do struggle with male cards.  Seems to be a common complaint amongst us.  Anyway must go.  Thanks

Summer's Over :-(

Well it's back to a gloomy old day here in Upper Hutt but at least it's not cold.  I've just come back from my morning bike ride and at lunchtime we'll be off  for our swim - first time back since the Christmas break for my husband.  He only joins me on Wednesdays as the other days he is on the golf course.  Anyway I digress - I have two Barbara Gray (Clarity Stamps) inspired cards today.  She taught me how to do these cards via her DVD and I have taught this technique (with Barbara's blessing I must add!!!) several times at the craft shop.  It is one of my favourite techniques and never fails to get a 'Wow' when I demo it in class.  Barbara is such a neat lady and her DVDs are great 'cos you can rewind and reply as many times as you need to until you get it right.  I have met her several times at the All England Stamp Show held at Newbury Race Course in July each year.  Her stand is always one of the busiest.  Clarity stamps are clear, see through stamps which make this technique much easier BUT I also demo to my classes that you can use wooden mounted stamps for the technique, you just need a stamp positioner to help you get the images in the right place.  A brayer is the other essential tool for these reflections.  If you are going to get one I recommend buying a Speedball soft rubber brayer.  Simply the best!  I'm off before I burst into a Tina Turner song.  Bye and thanks for visiting.

The Second Consecutive Nice Day !!!!!!

Hello and how are you all?  If you live in Upper Hutt New Zealand how could you be anything other than happy on such a beautiful day?  The second one in succession!!  Does that constitute a summer I ask myself?  I hope there are still many more beautiful days to come. We have certainly waited long enough for some sort of summer.  Anyway I have been making the most of it by sitting in the garden eating my lunch and having a read of my book - plus of course the obligatory Nana Nap!!!  Whilst I was doing that my camera battery was charging and so now I have photographed my two creations from last night.  Remember the Divine Diva from the other day?  Well here are two more cards using the same technique.  The first one is a male version and again I used a decoupage sheet to get the motorcyclist image.  The other is for a teenage girl.  I used a girlie sticker for the image and created the fun wording on the computer.  They are quick and easy cards with a difference.  I hope you are all having a good day wherever you are.  Thanks for visiting.