Arting, crafting and getting away ...

I don't know how you all do it, I've been working full-time for the past 2.5 weeks in a temp contract after not working for 3.5 years and I honestly believe you need to build up your stamina to work full-time ... so I decided to let the agencies know that I wasn't available for 2 weeks, 'cause I needed 2 weeks to recover ... LOL!

Anyway, there has been some arting and crafting in that time, I just haven't posted about it all, so I'll start with my latest ATCs and then I'll finish with the fantastic weekend I just spent in Hervey Bay ... so grab a cuppa, this post might be a long one, but I plan on adding pictures more than words.

These ATCs were made for a local swap in Helensvale where we meet face-to-face at a local shopping centre.  Usually a theme is set and also no theme.  Last month's theme was Vintage Baby and I didn't make them so I did for this month's swap.  This month's theme is Winged Things and the Double Trouble ATC is for the no theme component of the swap.  I didn't actually attend the swap, so the lovely Kyla swapped my cards out for me.

Double Trouble, inspired by Jade Adams with the doodling around the images and the images from Itkupilli.

Winged Things ATC, image courtesy of Valerie Brincheck.

Vintage Baby ATC.  Kyla and I got the matt-board frames made ourselves by our local framer, how cool is that.

The reason I didn't attend the swap on Sunday is because I'd booked in to do a Journalling into Fun workshop with the gorgeous Nic Hohn who I met at the Creative Soul Retreat in March this year.  I decided to make a weekend of it, so on Friday after work, my husband Ferg and my pooch Beau jumped in the car and made the 5 hour journey from Brisbane to Burrum Heads (near Hervey Bay) with one pit-stop for food and for Beau to stretch his legs too.  Our little apartment at Burrum Sands was approximately 20 steps away from the beach and it was the most perfect quiet place to bring a dog away for a holiday.  On the Saturday we went for a 3.5 hour walk on the beach and boy did my calves feel it the next day.

The beach after high-tide as it's going out.

Beau can play ball forever.

A little downtime under a mangrove.

Low tide ... where's all the water gone?

Burrum Sands view from the Beach.

Nic in teaching mode.

My Creative Footprint - my first ever journal page ... I love it.

The facing Page.

and here's the real thing ... the foot that is.

Splat Girl - paint and magazine images.

Created with marbles.

Hard at work.

The lovely Nic and me.

All of us with our gorgeous art journals.

And to top of the most perfect weekend, Nic presented me with a handpainted canvas as a gift for travelling to her workshop .... Paper Bag Angel ... and I just adore it.  A big thanks to Nic for not only being a fantastic teacher, but also for sending me some photos through for my blog ... my camera ran out of battery

The End!

"Find the good. It's all around you. Find it, showcase it and you'll start believing in it."
~Jesse Owens, 1913-1980, Gold Medal Track Athlete~