Santa Train

Hello Everyone,
It now June so over on the 52 Christmas Card Throwdown Challenge blog we have a new hostess. This month Elizabeth has chosen what we will be doing with each of the different challenges.

With it being the first Saturday in June, Elizabeth has come up with a sketch for us to use.

If you have been to my blog before you know that I love working with sketches. One of the main reasons for liking them so much is that they can work in any orientation so this makes them so versatile.

As you can see with my design I have turn the sketch 90 degrees anti-clockwise. My decision to do this was decided by my elements that I chose to use on my card. First I found the Santa Train image which I cut from a Daphane’s Diary magazine; then I found this wonderful sentiment from the Crisp Christmas Sentiment Sheets by Paper Rose Studios. The sentiment made me laugh when I saw it and thought it went wonderfully with the image.

Thanks for stopping in and looking at my design team make for the June Sketch from 52CCT. I hope that I will see your creations as well on our challenge blog. Please do stop by and check out what other team members have done with the sketch.

Until my next post,
Be Kind to Yourself and Others.

Truckload of Thanks

Hello Everyone,
I have made a Father’s Day card which is quite a few months early for here in Australia as we don’t celebrate until September. As I do a lot of cards for donations it is never too early to start making for a specific time of year.

The making of this card started with 2 challenges being put together.

https://doubletroublechallenge.blogspot.com/2023/05/Challenge-139.html

https://festivefridaychallenge.com/festive-friday-card-making-and-paper-crafting-challenge-ff0135/

For the Double Trouble Challenge I decided to take on the triple dare, and for the Festive Friday Challenge I chose – Blue, Masculine and Check but I also used die cuts. I used a stitched rectangle die from Paper Rose Studios to cut out several from some red checked fabric. Onto some red watercolour background I stamped a pick-up truck image and sentiment using black dye ink. I coloured in the image with Faber-Castell Polychromos Pencils to give it a bit of life. Before sticking everything onto the base I used some distress ink and a sponge dauber to bring down the starkness of the white.

Thanks for stopping by to look at my card design. I hope that you have a chance to do something that you really love today.

Until my next post,
Be Kind to Yourself and Others.

PRODUCTS
Red Water Colour Background – Old Calendar
Faber-Castell Polychromos Pencils
Gathered Twigs Distress Ink
Kasiercraft Sponge Daubers
Paper Rose Studios
Stitched Rectangle Die Set
Premium Black Dye Ink
Vintage Truck 4×4 Stamp Set

2nd Creation

Hello Everyone,
As I showed in my previous post I made 2 cards using the same products being inspired by 2 blogs that I have just recently found so I thought I would do a 2nd post to show off the other card.

As a reminder here is the picture of both cards that I created. And how a closer look at the hidden card.

Both were created with the same products from my stash. Actually, these were pieces that were sitting on my desk from a previous card-making session. The only addition were the images of the purple hydrangea flowers. This card features the flowers in a wicker basket with a big bow tied on top. I cut a 2nd of the same sentiment that I had printed out on a large sheet of white cardstock.

Here are the links for the 2 challenges.

https://pathofpositivitychallenge.blogspot.com/2023/05/ch-112-anything-goes-positive-with-opt.html

Use Your Stuff – Anything Goes on the 5th Monday – http://useyourstuff.blogspot.com/2023/05/485-anything-goes.html

Thanks for stopping in and looking at my 2nd creation combining these 2 challenge together.

Until my next post,
Be Kind to Yourself and Others.

Just For You

Hello Everyone,
My creations today were inspired by 2 new blogs that I found while looking for a mojo kick-starter. Not sure what happened to my mojo maybe it is the cooler weather that has hit earlier than usual. Anyway while I was looking for inspiration I found

The Path of Positivity Challenge was such a wonderful blog that I knew I had to start making creations for this challenge. Then I found the Use Your Stuff Challenge Blog and was inspired by how to use the stuff I have so that I can appreciate more what I have.

Now onto the actual challenges this week

https://pathofpositivitychallenge.blogspot.com/2023/05/ch-112-anything-goes-positive-with-opt.html

For the Use Your Stuff Challenge it is – Anything Goes since it is a 5 Monday month. http://useyourstuff.blogspot.com/2023/05/485-anything-goes.html

Both were created with the same products from my stash. Actually, these were pieces that were sitting on my desk from a previous card-making session. The only addition were the images of the purple hydrangea flowers. These pintable’s have been sitting in my stash for a while, was starting to wonder if I would find the right project for them.

Once I found all of the elements these cards came together pretty quickly. I cut out the sentiment that I printed with a stitched rectangle die from Paper Rose Studios. This die has been getting a bit of a work out lately as it is the right size for some sentiments that I printed.

Thanks for stopping by and looking at my card creations. I wish you a wonderful day no matter what you find yourself doing.

Until my next post,
Be Kind to Yourself and Others.

52CCT May 2023 Stash

Hello everyone,
It is the 4th Saturday in May and my last as host of the challenges for 2023 over on the 52 Christmas Card Throwdown Challenge. I got to choose between setting a technique or stash challenge. As you can see by the title of this post I set a stash challenge.

So with this stash challenge I want everyone to dive into their scrap container – I’m 99% sure that everyone has that stash of scraps that they are keeping because they know that it will come in handy for a project in the future. Well this is that project 🙂

Because I had and still have so many scraps I actually made 4 cards for this challenge. Both using the same idea – first I’ll show you the cards and then explain.

Can you see how I got 4 cards?

I made 2 panels of strips of pattered paper and I cut each panel at an angle to get the top piece and the bottom. Then I used a hills border die to cut some white cardstock which I stamped the greeting and snowflake (?) images before adhering to the card which had the patterned piece.

The first set I made a boo boo in measuring my sentiment piece but instead of throwing it away I decided to work with it. With a pencil I drew the contour of the piece it was going to be paired with and cut it out with my scissors. When I adhered the pieces to the maroon layering piece I just left a gap which makes it look like this was how it was designed – no one receiving these will ever know unless they read this post. 🙂

Thanks for stopping in and looking at my card design for my stash challenge over on the 52CCT challenge blog. Please go to the blog and click on the links to the other designers and see how they used scraps in their designs.

Until my next post,
Be Kind to Yourself and Others.

52CCT May 2023 Theme

Hello everyone,
It is the 3rd Saturday of May and over on the 52 Christmas Card Throwdown Challenge I got to set a theme as host.

I decided to go with music as the theme for the challenge because it is one of the most universal things about Christmas. No matter where you go or what you may be doing during the month of December you will hear music – from that being played on the radio, to carollers in shopping centres and in churches.

Singing carols at a Carols by Candlelight event I think is one of my earliest memories. Even now if I don’t go to an event live if I am watching them on TV I will still sing along but especially at our church Christmas family event.

I loved this digital image so much when I bought it and I have been waiting for an opportunity to use it. Before printing this image I added the sentiment below as a tree stand.

Once I had mounted this image onto some Maroon cardstock I added the Love from Lizi gold stripe stickers around the border. To fill it out a little more I added some circle holographic stickers in various colours and sizes.

Thanks for stopping in and looking at my card design using my theme of music. I hope that you will stop on by the blog and see what the other designers have done with this theme. And I hope to see your creation as well.

Until my next post,
Be Kind to Yourself and Others.

52CCT May 2023 Colour

Hello everyone,
It is the 2nd Saturday in May and we have a new colour challenge over on the 52 Christmas Card Throwdown Challenge. As I am host this month I got to chose the colours that we would be working with.

I find setting this challenge always interesting as I’m never 100% confident with my choices so I decided that I would let some experts choose for me. I found a patterned paper pad that I wanted to use with my challenges and chose the most predominate ones from those papers.

I loved this patterned paper pad as it was different to most others as there are no Santa’s, Reindeers or Christmas Trees to be seen. But it does have beautiful birds and holly. Now you can see where I got my colour scheme from – it was this beautiful paper. So I had to make it the main feature for my card design.

All I added to this paper was one of the die-cuts and a sentiment that I printed from my computer. I think that it turned out wonderful even if it is a more simple card.

Thanks for stopping in and seeing my card using the colours I chose for the 52CCT May Colour challenge. I hope that you will stop on by the blog and see what the other designers have made using my combination. Also consider joining in with us on the creative fun each week.

Until my next post,
Be Kind to Yourself and Others.

My 50th Year

It is my 50th birthday today and this is my family.

Oh so much has gone before me and there are some adventures and hurdles ahead of me as well. As this goes live we are getting ready for a family fun day out. We are going to one of my favourite places – Hastings Point, NSW.

Due to lifeinteruptus we haven’t been able to get down there for quite awhile, so I decided that this is where I wanted to end up. My husband and daughter have both taken the day off from work. Since it is a Monday it should be pretty quite which means we will get to go one the beach and probably be the only ones there and no long queues for our favourite take away place either.

Back in 1973 when I was born these are some of the highlights

For AUSTRALIA
Australian PM was Gogh Whitlam
Australia’s Population was 13.38 million
Sydney Opera House was opened by Queen Elizabeth II
AC/DC perform first major gig in Sydney
NASA launches the Mariner 10 Mercury Space Probe

What things cost
Minimum wage: $2.04/hr
Sydney House: $27,400
Gallon of Petrol: $0.39
Dozen Eggs: $0.75
Loaf of Bread: $0.25
Average Weekly Earnings: $112.00

International Highlights
Watergate hearings begin in US Senate
Princess Anne marries Capt. Mark Philips in Westminster Abbey
World Population hits 3.9 Billion
US pulls out of Vietnam
World Trade Centre is completed
First Mobile phone was invented
Ethernet and Fibre Optics were invented

Entertainment Highlights
45th Academy Awards
Actor – Marlon Brando – The Godfather
Actress – Liza Minnelli – Cabaret
Director – Bob Fosse – Cabaret
Best Picture – The Godfather
Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon released

At the Cinemas
Charlotte’s Web, Robin Hood, Last Tango in Paris
On the TV
Hey Hey it’s Saturday, Young Talent Time, Matlock
On the Radio
Killing Me Softly with His Song – Roberta Flak
Crocodile Rock – Elton John
Your So Vain – Carly Simon
My Love – Paul McCartney & the Wings
Tie a Yellow Ribbon round the Ole Oak Tree – Tony Orlando and Dawn
Popular Christian Single – Why Me – Kris Kristofferson

Stars Born
Cathy Freeman
Heidi Klum
Pharrell Williams

Interesting to deep dive into what was happening the year I was born. So much has happened and is happening in the world even now.

I look forward to continuing to share on here my journey through this world. Sharing both my crafting other pursuits when my health allows me too. Still trying to navigate that curveball.

Until my next post,
Be Kind to Yourself and Others.

52CCT May 2023 Sketch

Hello everyone,
It is May and over on the 52 Christmas Card Throwdown Challenge I am the hostess of the challenges. And it just happens to be my birthday month as well.

So anyway onto the first challenge which is a sketch. Now you know I love sketches but trying to come up with something that hasn’t been seen before is a challenge. I hope that you like what I came up with.

I took the photo of my card at such an angle because I was trying to get the gold foiled snowflakes to show up. They sort of did. I am really happy with how this turned out after I turned my sketch into reality.

I will let you into a little secret here – I made a run through card using a different paper pad just to make sure I had everything figure out properly before making this one. I don’t have a lot of the full sheets of paper of the pack left but I wanted to use it for my challenges.

Thanks for stopping in and seeing my sketch for the 52CCT Sketch challenge for May. I hope that you will stop on by the blog and see what the other designers did with my sketch. And think about coming and joining in on the fun of the different challenges each week.

Until my next post,
Be Kind to Yourself and Others.

Another Crafty Pursuit

Hello Everyone,
I am usually here to post about my card makes but this time around I am here to share some photos from a Heritage Day that I participated in last weekend (April 22nd) This day was held at Laidley Pioneer Village and Museum and myself and fellow members of the Spinners, Weavers and Fibre Artisans of Ipswich displayed at this event.

L-R Stephanie, Philio and Myself – photo taken by Dorothy.

We got dressed up in Pioneer Costumes for the day but we brought along our more modern spinning wheels and I brought along my travel loom. During the day many people stopped by and commented that they remembered family members – usually a grandmother doing these kinds of activities.

Part of the demonstrations that happened that day was some sheep shearing. I volunteered to do some spinning on Dorothy’s older Ashford Spinning Wheel so that she could explain to the crowd about what was going on.

A photo of me behind Dorothy’s wheel – waiting for the shearing to commence.

The shearing has commenced

Me spinning raw wool

Dorothy explaining to the crowd about the process

It was interesting hearing the crowds reaction when told that from raw wool to a Size 14 Ladies Jumper would take around 800 hours of work. So my fellow members from SWFAoI have been part of the slow movement for many years.

I love spinning, crocheting and weaving because it does take time and does make me slow down. It helps me to feel at peace again – this is why I do my crafty pursuits. I love making things either for Family, Friends or even people that I don’t know because I get a benefit from it as well.

So I will continue to go after my crafty pursuits and I hope to share some of my projects on here as well. I want to celebrate being crafty and taking time to slow my pace down and create beautiful projects for others to enjoy.

Thanks for stopping by and looking at a different post from me. I hope that you will look to find a way to slow down a little – even if it is with my other favourite past time of reading or playing board games.

Until my next post,
Be Kind to Yourself and Others.