What could have been

I coloured the spooky house and the cheshire cat for the black and orange competition, but never got to upload it because I wasn't comfortable with how to go about it.  My daughter was going to help but that didn't work out either.

Anyway, here is the image for you to have a look at.

This was fun, but oh so big a job.  I did the cat first and am really happy with him.  The house was a challenge in itself with the various aspects to the shadows.

Then I entered the grafitti challenge, thanks to my daughter Amelia, who uploaded the image on my behalf.

I coloured the air balloon image for my partner's sons birthday.  Loved painting it and loved the result.

Not a great image of the coloured image.

I did the treasure map and the tall ship for my son-in-law's birthday.

Make it Crafty Challenge - Skin and Muscle Definition

I haven't posted for a very long time - just because I haven't had the time.  The cards that I have made since my last post have changed considerably.  I now use Copic markers instead of Distress Reinkers to colour my images and have now moved to digi stamps rather than using stamped images.  Thanks to the Make it Crafty site I now have quite a collection of digi stamps and aren't they so easy to use.  Just sit at the computer without a care as to the time of day and download and then manipulate the image to the size and configuration you want.  Just so much fun!!

This is my second effort at a Make it Crafty challenge and thought I would put up my gumnut girl that I coloured.  I thought I was too late for the challenge, but have been told there is still a few hours to go.  My first effort was the grafitti challenge.

So here we go, my entry for the skin and muscle definition challenge.

I coloured this image many weeks ago for my own self interest and did not take note of the colours that I used, but I do know that over the green of her dress I used a yellow Copic to give a different perspective to the colours.

A lot has happened since Christmas

It has been a while since I have posted anything on my blog...........

We have celebrated my two daughters birthdays.  Elizabeth in January  - she was less than two months from having her third baby.  I made this special card for her - Super Cupcake Marci.  Being a Mum of two boys she does her fair share of making cakes.

I used Distress Reinkers in scattered straw and vintage phot for her hair, the skin was vintage photo and tattered rose, milled lavender and dusty concord for the cape and worn lipstick and barn door for her outfit with black soot to shade and black soot for the boots.

Then in February it was Amelia's 30th birthday.  I made her a card using a card from the artist from the Crafts and Me website in the UK called "Clematis".  I had such fun painting this - it was challenging as well as it was different to painting the Magnolia or LaLa Land stamps.  Here are a few photos of her card.



Amelia saw some of the flowers that I had bought for her card, but she didn't know they were for her and she said to me that "I hope they are for me" cos I like them!!!!  When she got her card she was so excited to see that the flowers were for her.

I used Distress Reinkers for this card, but as it was a while ago I can't remember all the colours I used.

Our friends Quentin and Lesley also had their birthday's in January and February and Lesley's was a special birthday.  She turned 60.  Here are pictures of their cards.

Lead up to Christmas and New Year

Hi again - it is Saturday morning - New Year's Eve 2011 and I am thinking about entering more challenges.  I had three lovely comments on my first challenge entry - it was really exciting to get those responses.  I certainly didn't expect it.

Amelia (Milly), my daughter keeps me up to date with what goes on in the card world.  Without her influence I would not be doing all the stuff that I am doing now.

Both my daughters have been scrapbooking for a long time and I probably only got started in the last twelve months.  My eldest daughter Elizabeth is a consultant with Kaszazz as well as holding down a full time job as a Mum to two beautiful boys and expecting another bundle of joy in March and is a Registered Conveyancer.

I resisted getting into scrapbooking for quite a while, but I finally got hooked.  Oh dear!   How quick did I fall under that spell.  I would hate to think of the money I have spent, but it does keep me busy and gives me something to do in my spare time.  And everyone loves a home made card - it is very special because it is made with that person in mind.

There was a new challenge that I was going to enter using black and white but I ran out of time and didn't enter the challenge.  I had already decided that I was going to do some black and white cards this year and had some Magnolia stamps already painted up with Distress Reinkers but haven't had time to put my cards together.  Oh well! It will be an early start for next Christmas.

I did, however, make some lovely, unique cards which I gave to friends and family.  The first one to my children's Godparents was a card that I entered in my first competition.  Here are some photos of that card:

  

I used Kaisercraft Christmas - December 25th 6-1/2" Paper Pad for the backgrounds and the "Big Shot" with Nestibilities die for the scallop background cut out in red and then placed the spotted paper behind Edwin.   Magnolia Merry Little Christmas Collection - Lightning Edwin was painted in sepia tones using Distress Reinkers. I used a large and small snowflake punch and used Distress Inks Frayed Burlap and sponged the colour on to the flakes and then added diamond stickles to give the sparkle and shine.

For my eldest daughter, Elizabeth, and her husband Darren and her two boys, James and William I used the Something for You Tilda stamp from the Magnolia Sweet Christmas Dreams collection.  I used Fired Brick from the Distress Reinkers with Black Soot for the shadows.  For the fur I used Liquid Applique which puffs up to look like fur when you apply a heat gun.  Very fun to play with. I also again used  the Kaisercraft Christmas - December 25th papers and cut outs.

It was interesting when I was putting this card together the layout looked much better with the plaque horizontal rather than portrait.  Snowflakes and the plaque were sponged with Frayed Burlap and then embellished with diamond stickles and pearls.

The next card for my son Ben and his wife Jo was also made with the Kaisercraft Christmas - December 25th papers and I used the Magnolia Merry Little Christmas Collection - Reindeer Tilda painted in sepia tones using Distress Reinkers.  The bench Tilda is sitting on is a Bildmarlana bench which has been painted with the same tones as Tilda using the Distress Reinkers.  Very little was done with this card apart from the "25" token which was enhanced with diamond stickles and the plaque with "Merry Christmas" which was made using a Kaszazz stamp.  The border around the background was white so I sponged it with Frayed Burlap to mute the background.

The background paper I used was the BoBunny Back to Basics/Father Christmas.

For my youngest daughter Amelia (Milly/Milszy - http://milszy.blogspot.com/) I used a different colour theme to the other cards and I was really pleased with the results.  It was very simple, but so effective.  I used the Magnolia Merry Little Christmas Collection - Starlight Tilda and used Distress Reinkers to colour the image.  For the clothing, star and wings I used Weathered Wood and Frayed Burlap for the wand of the star. 

The background was "Winter Wonderland" paper from Best Creations Inc and the doily was die cut from white card and sponged with Weathered Wood.  The cut out was done using a die from Kaszazz and also sponged with Weathered Wood and then I used diamantes to embellish the background.

Here are some images for you to look at:

Well I have been working on this blog on and off all day.   It has been an extremely hot day in Adelaide, South Australia today - it was forecast to be 38 degrees Celsius and tomorrow (New Year's Day) is forecast at 41 degrees Celsius.  I haven't ventured outside much today.  Went shopping early and did some washing, but had that in before the shade went from the clothes line.

I am now sitting watching the Edinburgh Tattoo and the year will be over in a few hours.

Let's hope 2012 is going to bring some good things to the family as this year has ended rather sadly.

We were going to go to our friends who live in Mount Barker for New Years celebrations, but I have had a tummy bug all day and because it was so hot have decided to spend it at home.  Milly was really sick with gastro earlier this week and Denis wasn't well later in the week, so looks like I caught something from him.  Sharing/caring - lucky me!!

HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE!

First Challenge

Well, it is Wednesday and I have been working on my first Magnolia Down Under Challenge.  I have been inspired by my daughter, Amelia, who is doing some amazing work with her card making.

This challenge requires us to follow a particular layout and I have made my card using Lightening Edwin, painted with brown tones with Distress Reinkers.  I used a combination of vintage photo and tattered rose for the skin, frayed burlap for the clothes and walnut for hair and shoes.

It is kind of exciting, but also nerve wracking to put your stuff out there for criticism.

I hope you like what you see with my Lightening Edwin Christmas Card.

I'd like to enter in the Magnolia Down Under Challenge #123 - Debbie's Sketch

Australia's Junior Masterchef finale is on tonight and I have to watch it.  Those kids are absolutely amazing and can do things with food that I have never attempted.

My birthday

My 60th birthday was in September and it was pretty low key.  I didn't feel like celebrating because my dear brother had passed away only 3 weeks prior to my birthday.  All my friends have turned 60 this year and we have celebrated with them but I wasn't in the party mood.  I had a feeling for many months that Graham wasn't going to be here by my son's wedding in October.  I kept telling the family that, but they thought I was just being anxious.  But as they said to me,  you were right Ma.

Denis and I went out to dinner on my actual birthday, then on the Saturday night following, the whole family and Linda and Brenton went to the Birkenhead Tavern for dinner.  It was a lovely night and we had a special cake - chocolate, my favourite.

I am now the proud owner of a Kindle ebook reader from the family.  So I spend my 40 minutes each way on the bus to and from work every day reading.  So spoilt!!.  I also received a beautiful ring with sapphires and diamonds from Denis and Elizabeth and her family.  My lounge was like a florist shop, it smelt beautiful with all the flowers that my family gave me.

Elizabeth and Amelia put together a special beyond the page "60" scrapbook album for me with my three children and their respective families included.  I have taken a picture of it and it is below for all to admire.

My son Ben was getting married on 1 October 2011 and I have made a card for he and his future wife Jo to celebrate their wedding day.  I used Magnolia Tilda Loving Couple and the Rose Arbor with inspiration from some of the blogspots I have been visiting lately.  I used Distress Reinkers for the painting.

I recently made a card for Linda and Brenton's daughter for her birthday. 

This is a not very good photo of my effort.

I really loved painting this background.

 

The day

Yesterday I buried my special only brother, and I am not going to work tomorrow as I just can't face it. 

I have just started using Magnolia Tilda collection stamps and have been practicing the distress reinker painting technique.  I have been spending a lot of time looking on the internet for the suppliers of the stamps and have purchased about 10 from America.

I received my order from America today with all my new Magnolia stamps so I am looking forward to creating some new cards.  I have to make a card for my son who is getting married in October and I am going to use my loving couple stamp and the rose arbour background.

I have been experimenting with painting my Magnolia stamps and have been following the tutorials by a few bloggers.  I have included a card that I created for my friend who recently turned 60.



Here are my mushrooms for you to judge - I think they are a little bit dark underneath and am going to have another go at painting them.

I am trying to get my light source and shading right - my Tilda below is okay, but you have to be really carefull that you don't overdo the colour.

Edwin I am really happy with - I think I got the shading pretty right and I love his jeans and roll up hem and shoes.