November Overview

November was go go go with family events and catch-ups before the silly season really starts.

We celebrated my husband, Ferg's, birthday with my family on the Friday before. He was seemed very happy with his Adrian Zumbo layered birthday cake, which was the most amazing cake I have ever eaten.

 

 

On Saturday 3rd November I went to the Penrith Craft Show and got a bit of crafting done. I made beautiful cards with Jane Clark (http://janescreativejourney.blogspot.com.au/) and managed to complete the whole project in class ... love it when that happens. Only have a picture of one of the cards as I have already sent the other one off!

I ran into Sandra whilst getting a coffee and she happened to be doing the next class with Nic Howard (http://nichoward.typepad.com/). We created an amazing scrapbook layout and it was nice to have some company to chat and share with throughout ... as usual I didn't finish the project and they will probably be sitting around for a while until I get to finish it off (ha, ha). Perhaps I should make a New Year's resolution to do something crafty every weekend ... even if it's only an hour or so.  My layout should look similar to this when finished ....

Went away to the Hunter Valley for Ferg's birthday from 9th - 11th November ...

then hit the races for Spring Carnival on Saturday, 17th November with Janneka and Paul ...

... and battled the crowds and traffic from Tamarama to Bondi Beach, to view the Sculptures by the Sea on Sunday, 18th November.

Ferg and his mate Robert went on a trip to Perth for a week On 24th November had a craft day with my friend Jean and sister Natalie. I started my handmade Christmas cards ... probably a little late but probably won't take me too long.

Nothing quite like seeing the final episode of Twilight at the Australian Premiere on 14th November and keeping in with the shows, saw the stage show Legally Blond on 29th November.

I still managed to join in an ATC swap with the Boomerang Yahoo Group - theme Blue & Green & Ribbon.

 

 

Phew ... what a month!

Stamp Camp

It's taken over 2 years but finally I managed to attend Stamp Camp in the Hunter Valley this year from 7th - 9th September. It's always held on a weekend in September and as the majority of my family members birthdays occur during this month, I haven't been able to go ... until now!

I arrived on Friday night after working all day, just in time for dinner. I spent the weekend with a lovely group of ladies, some I'd met before and others I met through various online groups.

On Saturday, the lovely Rachel Greig from Darkroom Door (http://www.rachelgreig.typepad.com)
spent the day teaching us different techniques to make cards.  When we weren't in the classroom, our time was our own to finish off other projects.

All in all the weekend was just what I need to recharge and get back in balance with a little bit of creativity.

Below some photos of the cards made in Rachel's class, some ATC completed and a pic of my Stamp Camp buddies. From L to R Bev Charter, Therese Davis, Me, Dorothy Leach, Heather Askitis & Carolyn Passfield.

 

Keep smiling and keep creating!



Pink Purple Puzzle ATC

I joined a new Yahoo Group http://groups.yahoo.com/group/BoomerangStampersList/ to stay in touch with what's happening and what's new. Also some of the members are local New South Wales so I get to stay in touch with some creative people.

I joined an ATC swap through the group and the theme was pink, purple, stamped (in pink, purple, black or gold) and the ATC had to have a puzzle piece on it somewhere.  Here is the ATC I created ... it's been so long since I've made one, it felt a little alien.  The puzzle piece is embossing opals ... I'd bought them at a craft show years and years ago and this is the first time I'd used them.

"Mere colour, unspoiled by meaning, and unallied with definite form, can speak to the soul in a thousand different ways."

~Oscar Wilde~

Envelope Inspiration ...

Today was the Online Stampers Luncheon held at Cafe 88 at Parramatta Leagues Club, NSW. This year marked the third year I attended this luncheon and it's so nice to catch up with other creative ladies, participate in an ATC swap and look at the wonderful projects created.

Here's the ATC I made for the luncheon today ...

It's made from using the patterned inside of security envelopes.  Using recycled materials is not only a good way to be “green” for the environment, it’s also a great way to save money. So often I come across objects and imagine a new and creative use for it ... but it took my friend Pam to introduce me to using the insides of security envelopes.

Below is the first ATC I made using security envelopes and the last two pictures are cards created by Pam.

Maybe you'll apply this to your own crafting projects ... I can already see the piles of those envelopes! Oh, and if you absolutely adore these patterns and want more, check out this Flickr group dedicated to envelope security patterns. Enjoy!

ATC Quarterly

When I started creating ATCS in early 2008 I became really active in a number of Yahoo Groups. On one of those groups (ATC World - http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ATC_World/) I became a moderator and met so many wonderful friends all over the world.  One of those friends introduced me to a small ATC publication called ATC Quarterly (http://www.atcquarterly.com/) published by Ronna Mogelon http://ronnas.blogspot.com/ out of Canada.

Issue #24 has just been released and an article I wrote on making Non-paper ATCs was published.  In the list of items you need, gel medium is listed because some products in Canada are different to here in Australia, but I used an inexpensive Impasto / texture paste found in most discount stores ... anything with substance that dries clear will work for this technique.

An ATC of mine also featured in the Centrefold ... the theme this time was 'Dog Days'.  The focal point is my beautiful dog Beau on an ATC made completely from fabric.  Pam also had an ATC feature ... a hand drawn picture of Beau ... he's a bit of a celebrity in this issue of ATC Quarterly.

Here are some other ATC Quarterly Centrefolds where my ATCs have been featured.

ATC Quarterly Issue 18 Spring 2010. Ob la di, ob la da ... Beatles theme.

ATC Quarterly Issue 21 Winter 2011. Moo... Cow theme..

ATC Quarterly Issue 23 Summer 2011. Queen Bee ... Birds and Bees theme.
Pam's card also featured in this Centrefold.

The very last issue of ATC Quarterly will come out by the end of November 2011 ... the centrefold theme will be 'Goodbye'.  Will have to create something special for this publication that has been a part of my ATC journey since the beginning.

"One's philosophy is not best expressed in words; it is expressed in the choices one makes. In the long run, we shape our lives and we shape ourselves. The process never ends until we die. And, the choices we make are ultimately our own responsibility."

~Eleanor Roosevelt, 1884-1962, Former American First Lady~

Happy Easter!

In Australia, we managed to get a 5 day long weekend because another public holiday (Anzac Day) occurred on Monday 25th April. I took an extra day's annual leave and we went up to Queensland to visit family and friends.

Whilst I was away, I found out I won the Easter Egg guessing competition at work .... this is what greeted me on my desk this morning.

I managed to guess the exact amount of eggs in the jar ... 244 ... what are the chances!  Don't know if I really need all that chocolate.

Whilst in Queensland I managed to catch up with a couple of friends and we got creative playing with background techniques on ATCS.  If you think these look familiar you simply must visit http://thekathrynwheel.blogspot.com/.  This particular technique is an adaptation of one Kate did in a journal, which featured in the March 2011 issue of Craft Stamper (http://www.craftstamper.com/). Really my ATC is not even close to what Kate created ... it's been so long since I did art of any kind.  I had an absolute blast giving the technique a go ... now to add images and final touches.

There are no rules of architecture for a castle in the clouds.

G. K. Chesterton, 1874-1936, English Writer

A little bit of art ...

Here's a few ATCs I've done over the past 3 months. The first one is Paris, which was the theme for ATC Club in December and I was inspired by a very old ATC created by the very talented and lovely Shelly Sessions. The Christmas Tree is a class I did with the uber creative Linda Baldock and is metal shim put through a cuttlebug and the trims were coloured with a blowtorch.

Paris themed ATC for Scraploot Swap / Metal Shim Christmas Tree ATC



Cool Cat ATC for Feline Swap Helensvale Queensland, inspiration & Cat sunnies from Artchix Studios.

February ATC Club at Scraploot - Woodburning ATCs ... what fun!

All of the above, backgrounds with colour, texture paste, lace and heat made at the March ATC Club through Scraploot..

"The gem cannot be polished without friction, nor man perfected without trials."
~Chinese Proverb~