Monday, May 27, 2013

My Favourite Things

The Sound of Music was my favourite childhood movie.  I went to see it at least four times at 'the pictures' more than one of those time with my grandmother who also loved it.  Anyway when I attended the Donna Downey classes at Artful Crafts last weekend we were encouraged to enter this month's May challenge with the "My Favourite Things' Theme and a Sketch in Thyme sketch. 


Well I had to scrap who makes me smile, who cheers me up, and who I look forward to seeing (only four more sleeps til I see him)  The layout is of a special time at Easter when we went for a picnic at Macandrew Bay and Zac and Granny went exlporing in the bushes there.  I have put the journalling on a hidden tag. Papers are Prima Lyric collection and I have used a mask and gel medium and shimmerz to add texture and colour.
 The words on the mat for the main photo I felt were perfect for the moment.  The title is KaiserCraft.
 The 'bushes' in the corner are 'Make It Crafty' chippies which were soaked and painstakingly pulled apart to make them finer, then glimmer misted.  The cute little trinket arrived just in time for this page.

We certainly had a cold snap around 5pm tonight - a hail storm left the ground completely covered.  Will be interesting to see what the morning brings (apparently the stars are out now).

Thank you so much for visiting today.  Until next time..... keep warm

Dianne

Sunday, May 26, 2013

Scrap Around the World

Scrap Around the World is a new challenge site.  Read all about it here.  This month's challenge is with a mood board and sketch.

So I thought I would have a go.  A big WELCOME to anyone visiting from SATW. 

 I have had these fishing photos since January and have been hanging onto the sheet of Engraver paper for when the opportunity to scrap these photos arose so here is my take.     I was inspired by the colours which went well with the water and as it is a masculine page went with the grunge/shabby look of the doors and table setting photos.  I haven't used beads on scrapping for ages but found some perfect ones in my stash so used them too with inspiration coming from the chandelier.    I started with the sketch and used texture paste and a mask to give the splash look.  My circle is created using clear circle resin pieces.  I moved away from the tags and created an assemblage of bits and pieces on a base of a chipboard piece from Scrap Matrix. Some of the bits and pieces were newly acquired from Mum's jewellery box cleanout - an old earring and pearl necklace and there is one of my faithful old necklaces which has seen better days. I know that we did not have to use the colours of the mood board but in this case they were perfect for my photos and I love those colours also I had just purchased paint in those colours for use at the class I went to last weekend.  The webbed tablecloth in the mood board inspired me to use webbed trim to mat the photos

 The cogs below are 'Finnabair' available at Scrap Matrix.

Engraver papers and tape are available at Embellish It

Well my creative weekend has just two layouts done so far - the lovely fine day yesterday sidetracked me outside to clean the caravan which is going to be sold.  We have a very strong nor-westerly here today which is making it dangerous for DH to be up on the roof doing that bit.  A strong nor-wester at this time of year usually means real bad weather coming  and yes I have just checked the forecast  15 today and down to 8 and 6 degrees Celcius on Mon and Tues respectively.  

Thank you so much for visiting today. Would love to know what you think!

Until next time.....




Friday, May 24, 2013

Finnabair Inspired

Hi there.  Thankyou for stopping by today.  I am so pleased it is Friday - not that I have had a bad week because I haven't but when I woke this morning I was hoping it was Saturday and  it took a while to drag myself out of bed and the day has dragged ever since - just tired and need a recharge I think.   Oh there was one day this week which wasn't so good for some people as I had to call two ambulances in just over an hour (at work) late on Wednesday so perhaps the adrenalin of all that caught up on me.  I hope the two patients are now on the road to recovery.

Today I have a Finnabair inspired layout to share.  I created it soon after attending Finnabair's class but messed up the photo and it has taken a while to replace it.   It is of DD#1 when she was a Bridesmaid about 18 months ago.
 It is created with mainly the left overs from the kits at the class.  I see that Rae from Scrap Matrix has some kits for sale if you are interested but be quick.  Click on Rae above for the email address.



I am really hoping for a scrappy weekend.  At present I am waiting for some Gel Medium to dry (have it on the wire baking rack on the log burner whilst I blog this lol).  I also need to get organised and have some more practice before being one of the "Artists in Residence' on Thursday afternoon at our school "Art Week".  A bit nervous about that....... - that will be a first lol.  Looking forward to seeing what everyone else is doing - lots of painters and sculptors will be there.

Only 7 more sleeps until Zac comes to visit.  I  read him a story on Skype tonight.  He loves the Scholastic Book "Far, Far From Home" by Elizabeth Pulford and beautifully illustrated by Fifi Colston.  I have read it to him since he was 6 months old and he loves the story about a tiny little bug with a tiny little light trying to find it's way home. 
Far, Far from Home
 Anyway the gel is dry and I am off to scrap an 'explore' page and guess who is the subject!!!!

Have a great weekend.

Take care.

Sunday, May 19, 2013

A Donna Downey Weekend

Thank you for visiting my blog today.  I hope you have had a good weekend - I certainly did.  Artful Crafts hosted Donna Downey (all the way from North Carolina, USA)  and I attended all three classes - two yesterday and one today  so what better way to spend a rainy weekend than creating with a celebrity mixed media artist and a group of lovely ladies from  Auckland to Balclutha.  We created a technique journal then put some of the techniques into practice on a mixed media canvas then today created a Vintage Shabby Chic album so I will take some photos over the next few days however in the meantime ......
 Donna Downey  is a great tutor with amazing knowledge and talent.

Today I will share a  card that was created last weekend and posted to Australia for a birthday celebration that we were unable to attend this weekend. As my mojo last Saturday at the Embellish It Crop was on a 'go slow' and I had limited time I scrap-lifted it from Joanne (pictured above above right). 

 The image and sentiment are Lili of the Valley and papers Bo Bunny 6 x 6 pad.
 




Well that is all for today.  I will be back with some more photos later....

Until then - have a good week.

Dianne









Sunday, May 12, 2013

Happy Mothers Day!

I hope all the mothers out there have had a nice Mother's Day.  Here is the hand bag card I made for my Mum  - a bit different this year as she is getting quite a collection between mine and my SIL's lovely cards.
 Bazzill embossed card was used to make the hand bag which is embellished with Wild Orchid Flowers and liquid pearls along with pearl trim and Pearl cabochon also from Wild Orchids.   I used my absolutely favourite glue HELMAR 450 to adhere all the flowers, trim, cabochon and magnets to the project.
Below the inside contains a pocket for a voucher (ticket in my case). 
 I made an additional tag from vellum which I had printed and embossed with "Happy Mother's Day" then bordered with liquid pearls and attached along with the message tag with a chain (the ones that come on clothing).  I included a blank tag on the inside with the view that Mum may like to re-gift it one day and she will just need to put a new message on a tag.   The 'clasp' is helped along with magnets inserted on the back of the card and covered with another pearl cabochon (there is also another strip of pearl trim on the back.



Yesterday I attended the Embellish It Crop so it was lovely to catch up on fellow scrappers and meet some more new people.   I managed two cards and 3 layouts although the layouts were power scrapping ones and will not appear on my blog as I did not take any photos of them.   I have been completing an album of a 50th birthday two years ago and given it as this year's birthday present.  I scrapped 'The Amazing Race' which was the celebration we had at the time and did a double layout for each team piling as many photos onto a page as possible.  This is the only photo you will see - the title page,  but excuse the photo which was a quick pic taken outside on a chair but you will get an idea.  Usually I blutak them to the wall in my scrap room and take under the bright lights there.  The photo is also just a computer one printed on paper. Papers are from a Warehouse Stationery Heritage Pad which I used for most of the album.

Well that is all for today and thank you so much for visiting.

Have a good week.... Until next time.....

Thursday, May 9, 2013

3 or more different flowers

Hi there!

Thanks so much for visiting today and welcome if it is your first time.  The current challenge over at the Wild Orchid Challenge Blog spot is 3 or more different flowers so this is a perfect card for this challenge.  Made for a former work colleague for her 65th birthday with Prima patterned papers and a Make it Crafty bird cage, foliage and birds.  And of course all the flowers and leaves are Wild Orchids as is the Guipure lace trim.
 
 The foliage is sprayed with Glimmer Mist and bird cage finished with liquid pearls.

 The rose trinket above is from one of Nic Howard's collections available on Trade Me and the 65 was American Crafts but finished with Glimmer Mist and liquid pearls.

Remember that this weekend Embellish It is having a Timaru Crop at Highfield School Hall, Rimu Street.  Contact Joanne if you would like to attend or call in for a visit.

Well that is all for today.  Let me know what you think!!

Until next time....










Saturday, May 4, 2013

A bit of grunge for 21!!

Thank you for visiting my blog this weekend.  It sure has been a beautiful day here today and the duckshooters are pleased with their bags so I will now be making some Duck Rolls tomorrow.   

The birthday boy for this card turned 21 last Tuesday but it has travelled all the way to Southport on the Gold Coast of Australia today and he should receive it by now.
 
 This card was a real play putting new learned Finnabair skills to the test.  I cut a large 21 onto cardboard and used texture paste to put the chevron pattern on it then painted it black.  The patterned paper underneath was randomly punched around the edges then coated with modge podge to seal it.  A template was then used to add gel medium and then I finger painted to add more colour.  I used luminiere paints to highlight pieces of the 21. 
 Then the embellishments were added, some painted with luminiere paints and some left raw. 
 The little chain below was painted with paints and scrunched up and has dried solid.  I love the little rings (available from Nic Howard on Trade Me) Strength, Happiness, Wisdom. They were gold but also painted with luminiere paint. The clock, key and owl were also from Nic Howard's trinket collection. Cogs are Finnabair.
 The inside was covered with a piece of Tim Holtz paper and the edges punched.

 and along with creating the card the family also created a scrapbook of the 1st 21 years so I was asked to contribute 2 pages and here they are.  A bit different from my normal style but required, to fit the maximum amount of photos through his life as I could.
 The double page layout is created with the Bo Bunny 'Enchanted' collection.  The edges are randomly punched and distressed and I added some stencilling with red luminaire paint to add a bit of colour. Left page closeup below
and close up of the right page
 

below - loved the trim with train included picked up in a shop at Devonport.
 and last but not least our little man.  The 'Zac Braxton' tattoo was designed by the birthday boy as that is his trade and is very clever depicting a heart pumping and all the parts - acknowledgement that he is a heart baby.  . 
The patterned paper had glitter pattern already on it so that also added to the page without having to use too many embellishments.  The wire coil above and the crimped circles above that are recycled from an old hen ornament I had some years ago and dismantled into a jar 'in case' I found a use for it.  Perfect for the grunge look. .

Enjoy the rest of your weekend.

Until next time. ....



Thursday, May 2, 2013

A Top 3 Badge

A surprise tonight when I was listed as one of the Top 3 in the Lili's Little Fairies Inspiration Challenge thus earning this badge.

It has been a long time .....


Today I am sharing a card made several weeks ago when a friend's dear Mum passed away.  Created with Prima patterned papers. 
Apologies for the dark photo above.   Flowers are wild orchids.
 ... and lots of liquid pearls.  The message in the middle is printed on vellum and embossed. 

Embellish It is holding a crop in Oamaru this weekend (4 May) and in Timaru next Saturday (11 May).  Contact Joanne if you would like to attend.  

A short post today.  Thanks so much for visiting today. 

Until next time....