Getting some creative time in ...

Friends of ours Pam and Barry travelled from the Gold Coast to Sydney for a visit last weekend.  Pam and I always try and fit in some creative time and this time we had a go at a technique in the September 2011 Craft Stamper (http://www.craftstamper.com/) by Trish Latimer called Lemon Juice Backgrounds.  My card didn't turn out as nice as the one in the magazine, but I think for a first attempt it's pretty good.



Pam also taught me how to make these flowers ... very cool.

It was beautiful sunny warm weather the weekend before our visitors arrived and then this particular weekend it was arctic!  We decided to make a day trip down to the Southern Highlands (about 1.5 hours south from Sydney) and visited an old wares / antique store in Mittagong, had lunch at the Elephant Boy cafe in Bowral ... a sensory indulgence from the days of the british raj.



After lunch, we ventured out in the bitterly cold windy 8 degrees celsius and made our way to Berrima.  We found a wonderful little shop called Berrima Patchwork Crafts (http://www.berrimapatchwork.com.au/) that sold the largest and most beautiful range of quilting fabrics I've ever seen ... we had to get Pam out of there quickly as there were so many fabrics she just had to have!!!





Next stop was a quaint shop called The Art of Bookbinding (http://www.artofbookbinding.com.au/) ... again we had to get out of there quickly as they had the largest range of beautifully printed papers I've seen!

We just had to visit the Peppertree Trading Company / Antique shop in Berrima.  The place was fantastic.  Pam and I could have spent hours there ... we even lost each other a couple of times inside.  The shop was a feast for the senses ... there was so many old things it was difficult to take it all in.  On top of it, they had a 50% off everything sale.

There were buttons galore ...

I bought a couple of these ...

Just had to have these old bus tickets ... awesome!

"Find something that feels good, that resonates with your heart."

~Dr John Gray~

Spring has sprung down under ...

We have had the most beautiful weather this weekend ... the first weekend of Spring 2011 in Australia.  The Jasmine is growing and smells beautiful and today is also Father's Day here ... so congratulations to all those dad's out there all over the world.

My dad ... love you!

I started my crafting life with scrapbooking many years ago and still love looking at beautifully created scrapbook albums. When my sister Sylvia was pregnant with her first child, we'd taken a photo of her belly every month so we could keep an eye on progress.  I put together a little mini album covering the pregnancy, which I presented to her when my niece Alexis was born.

We did the same thing when she fell pregnant with her second child ... took photos of that ever growing belly.  My nephew is now 2.5 years old and this weekend I finally finished the album to send to my sister in time for her birthday ... how slack am I!!!

Anyway, here's what I created ... now there are a few pics of when my nephew was just born as I was lucky enough to be at the birth, so if you're a bit squeamish do not go any further.

I have not done anything creative since July and feel fantastic that I finally made time to finish one of the many unfinished projects lying around in my craft room.

Enjoy!

A father carries pictures where his money used to be.
~Author Unknown~

Crafting in Queensland

 On the June long weekend, we drove up to Queensland to visit the family. The Papercraft Show also happens every June long weekend, so Pam and I organised to do 3 classes on the Monday from 9.30am - 4.30pm and little bits of shopping in between classes ... big day

CLASS 1 - MY WISH ...
Double layout with a difference taught by the talented Louise Nelson.
 

My unfinished layout. I really like this style of art ... scrapping with a difference.

CLASS 2 - BOTANICAL CARDS

Using the Prima Botanical papers and flowers, we created 6 cards in this class. Pam and I got an extra gift because we were the only 2 to finish all 6 cards in the allocated time over the whole weekend!

   

  

CLASS 3 - ZENTANLE
Zentangle class run by Kass Hall. I really enjoyed learning how to create different patterns with doodling ... very therapeutic.

And some pics of my niece & nephew ... so cheeky, so cute!

Ideas shape the course of history.
~John Maynard Keynes, 1883-1946, English Economist~



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