Black Cat's Miaow

Opus Gluei #122 Take a picture, it lasts longer.

2012-01-20T15:33:00.001+11:00

Can you imagine how many things in my life I should have taken a picture of? A pair of patent leather shoes I wore to death and had re-heeled over and over again; a black silk jersey jumpsuit (I was very thin); my Aunt's black and white tiled floor under her grand piano; my first boyfriend; the house my grandmother used to live in.....

Being a quiet retiring sort of person (in my dreams) it seems I have few photographs of me, and none I'm willing to share any time soon, though I could have photoshopped out the green horns I dare say (this will make sense to some people and just bemuse the rest). So I hunted out some images that could have been photographed but weren't until they were painted. Don't go trying to play the music above the image of Beethoven because its definitely NOT one of his best works, which is why he looks so grumpy. The other is a piece of a larger image of a dancer complete with maracas. I gave her flowers instead because she needs to be exotic and a bit more mysterious.

More ATCs, just love them cos they're little and collectable. Can we have another swap sometime soon?

Opus Gluei 121 "Out with the old and in with the new"

2012-01-10T22:55:00.000+11:00

There's something about staying home that gets me in the mood to spring-clean, even when its summer and so hot the roads melt. So far there are 6 boxes waiting to be collected by the charity people, but I'm not ringing them yet because I know there's more to find...........I've started the "out with the old" bit.

I even winkled out a few things from the busy room, then I remembered my New Year resolution for 2012 (well, one of them) which is to spend less time on the computer and more time getting gluey, so the first port of call HAD to be OG. After a day with friends, making cards and eating and laughing and giving eachother advice on every topic under the sun, I had to keep going and raid the boxes for this challenge. Its all very well saving things to use, but eventually, you actually have to use them (Rosemary, this applies to you too). My 3 ATCs are my way of getting rid of some old, and recycling them into something new.

The cat is a mosaic from a postcard along with some cord from a parcel. Orange cord is so good you HAVE to save it, but maybe not forever. The oriental one has a piece of a wrapper from my chinese tea, another snippet of a postcard with tea-mugs, and a brad which just might have a tea leaf or two on it. The third uses my last piece of handmade gold paper from when I started making cards, oh-so-long-ago, along with an image that reminds me of my Mum's button jar, right down to the rusty lid.

And of COURSE the backgrounds are black; some things never change!!

Christmas is coming.......

2011-12-10T18:44:00.001+11:00

I don't know where the time goes. This is not just days, its months. Somehow I got out of the habit of taking photographs (note to self, catch up on shuttercal too) and TOTALLY out of the habit of making cards, except the ones I had to rush off to attach to a present that was due NOW.

But the holidays loom.... the reports are finished, the puddings are made, the Christmas cards are the next thing on the list (writing them not making them) and then I'll start baking goodies. If I can find a day at home.

This card is for my dearest (well, to tell the truth, ONLY, but she's very dear to me too) niece who lives on the other side of the world where it actually gets cold for Christmas. It could be just about any sort of weather in Melbourne, but it certainly wont snow, whereas in beautiful downtown Hertfordshire, it just might.

All the papers are from last December's TE Key Ingredients kit, which goes to show how much of a hoarder I am....and the snowflake brads were just waiting for me to open the right drawer.

Merry Christmas KT!

Everything's coming up roses!!

2011-08-28T22:43:00.000+10:00

Roses........ well, I have a garden full of them but when I looked into the boxes of useful things...... there were daisies, orchids, camellias, daffodils, sprays of jasmine, bunches of bluebells........ but not a rose in sight. It took a bit of searching but here's my take on the latest challenge from the Opus Gluei Poobahs.

The image is an old perfume advertisement from a sheet of decoupage paper I saved a l-o-n-g time ago. I've added some pearls and some bling and a few gold highlights here and there. Hope its rosey enough to suit......

(and Rosemary, this means the house is still dusty!! )

Opus Gluei #111 "Oh I do like to be beside the seaside..."

2011-08-27T22:07:00.001+10:00

And I do too. Nearly missed this challenge ( the latest from the lovely PBs) because life keeps getting in the way of anything remotely creative lately. Unless you'd call laundry creative? And no, I don't mean worrying about how the clothes are hung on the line (but of course you could do it by colour, or size or type, or match the pegs to the clothes, or hang your socks in pairs........) see how easy it is to digress?

So here's my very simple take on the seaside........doubling as a Father's Day card for my Dad who is the second last in a long line of sailors in the family. I'm the last. The image makes reminds me of the trip to the Kimberley coast we did together, and how it must have looked like this to anyone watching: the boat with its tender tagging along behind (but you should be able to see my Dad fishing from it). And to tell the truth, our skies were lots clearer, amazingly clear and blue.

Nothing terribly fancy about this, just a piece of blue card-stock, a memorable image and a foil embellishment. Almost minimalist!

Cards for friends

2011-07-16T21:13:00.000+10:00

I know why I don't have to time to make Christmas cards in the middle of the year (Electra, are you listening??)..... everyone I know is having a birthday this month, Herewith two cards made with the contents of the latest Key Ingredients kit from Taylored Expressions........

I love the summery colours even if here in Melbourne its cold and wintery (and it snowed somewhere very close to home last night). The patterned paper is just beautiful no matter which side I turn it, and the name of the pack "Sweet Threads" doesn't really give you a hint of the lovely things inside. It looks like linen because of the cross-hatching all over it. Love it, and as usual I get carried away with the paper and dont use all the embellishments.

.....but there are brads, and pieces of ribbon, and for once the only things from the shelves of the busy room are the white cards I've used as the bases and two SU embossed flowers.

Happy Birthday Ann and Maureen.

What? Christmas already?

2011-06-26T18:59:00.000+10:00

I cant believe I'm making Christmas cards. Well, making one probably doesn't count and its likely to be the only one I make unless I get sucked in..... I'd like to think I'll make them every year, but I run out of time and its December before I know it.

This is a combination of card and tag, and just to show its possible, I made lots of tags because I was on a roll. The Christmas paper was lurking on a shelf, getting dusty, and the images are just the right size for a small circle punch.

Fancy straying from monotone colours? Still traditional though.... can't go past red, green and gold. This little collection is specially made for the GPs at the fabulous Opus Gluei and their friends at Jingle Belles too.

Girlie? Opus Gluei #105

2011-06-13T15:12:00.001+10:00

Its just as well they're a forgiving team at OG because I just can't bring myself to do pink today......and that's SO girlie (the colour, not me)(well.......)

Anyway, after a bit of flinging things from one box to another I found my hoard of images and offer this for my take on girlie. The main image is a painting by Rupert Bunny (1864-1947) called "A summer morning" and reminds me of warm lazy mornings away with friends......slow to get up, putting off everything too hard, and just basking in the sun. Must be the feline in me.

In a bit of serendipity, the DP is called Summer Breeze, but I only know that because the little piece left was the bit with the printed margin. The glittery bits have finally found a home and all the other fiddly things come from the boxes on the shelf. I can't believe I still have some this lace paper left from a buying spree a l-o-n-g time ago.

Opus Gluei - #97 Zen

2011-04-10T14:53:00.001+10:00

Now I dont know about my Zen..... but I do like to doodle so I think I'm on the right track. Doubtless those ladies at Opus Gluei will set me straight if I've got it wrong, but then, they're so forgiving it will be okay.

I was going to start with the black cat and draw out from him, but I got sidetracked and then the pen got away from me. The cat image is from a notepad from the Metropolitan Museum of Art which features the fabulous work of Theophile-Alexandre Steinlen. I really love the more famous one with the fierce looking feline gazing out of the advertismenet for the Chat Noir cabaret, but this more gentle one is good too.

The rest is all my own scribbling..........

...and another month zips by.

2011-03-31T13:40:00.003+11:00

But at least this time I have an excuse that's not work related. I've just had a knee replaced and am the proud (I think) owner of a shiny new titanium one, at least I'm hoping it was shiny when they put it in. Dont want to think about it now.

So I have been temporarily reduced to crutches and the inability to do too much that cant be done with my leg higher than my hip so that the lovely balloon-like shape of my leg goes back to something approaching normal. And such a collection of bruises too (every colour of the rainbow at the purple end). My Mum thought she might photograph the skin colour and give it to Ali to use as one of her surreal backgrounds, but fortunately she forgot and I've been keeping the support stocking on ever since, just in case she gets any ideas........ Really, if you cant trust your mother, what's left??

However, light is glowing at the end of the tunnel and today I have managed to sit outside in the sun (right next to the archway covered in paper daisy), make it to the desk to pay some bills and lastly write this quick note. Now to see what everyone else has been up to.......

What? A whole month?

2011-03-03T19:20:00.000+11:00

How did it get to be March so quickly and what happened to the rest of February? There are cards to make, challenges to enter. The weeks are disappearing! STOP.

....small rest for deep breaths.....

Will soon have many weeks to play in my hoarded bits and pieces here in the Busy Room. I'm being fitted with a replacement knee in the ever decreasing future, so once I can hobble along the hallway I'll have to catch up on all the things I'm missing. Back soon, in case anyone misses me.

Another mosaic

2011-02-05T01:46:00.000+11:00

Haven't put the third creation in the garden yet because the grass is so long that I can't even find the place I made it for.

.......but here's the next one. It was made to sit near a huge Bird of Paradise that towers over that part of the garden. It hasn't flowered yet because its still too young, but Liz has several at her place so I had to spend some quality time researching the flowers over in her garden (coffee, contemplation, dinner....). I'm really looking forward to the year my plant gets its first flower because they're stunning: black heads with a greyish bloom over them and long waving white "feathers" with blue tongues. When the white begins to wither it goes a pale shade of creamy beige and looks wildly untidy.

At the base of the garden here, and where the column stands, there are lots of winter roses thriving in the shade, some unruly belladonna lillies and an assortment of other things which first survived our drought and now the soaking rain. If you knew my garden as well as I do you'd know that some of the green in these pictures is really a background of exceedingly long grass.

The second picture gives a better idea of the whole of one side, including the depression where, under the tiles, there was a chunk out of the side of the pipe. I think its a bit like the ear (see previous post about that bit of trivia), and makes each pipe unique.

Opus Gluei 87 "Key to my heart"

2011-01-29T23:01:00.000+11:00

Where has January gone? I was all set to make a scene for the 86th challenge, and the days went, the challenge changed.........I'm behind already and its only week 4 of the year. Ah well, I can only improve.

So instead of the little scene I had planned, no not a tantrum (I gave those up just recently), here's my offering featuring hearts rather than keys. I was going to have layers and frothy bits and glitter and bling, but I used pink instead. I think I'm failing the glue test, either that or I'm still so relaxed and in holiday mode that two colours are all I can manage.

Next time............

...keeping out of mischief...

2011-01-25T00:31:00.000+11:00

Usually on holidays I spend long hours reading, or countless hours playing patience or solving sudoku, but THIS year I've been breaking tiles and making mosaics instead. Liz and I have been very busy recycling old stormwater terracotta pipes into little masterpieces to hide in the garden. We think they'll be ideal to support citronella torches, or rest a candle on (in a terracotta saucer), or maybe a plant in a pot......... Here's what the pipes look like in the raw.....

We've made six, and I've added a photo of a finished one in situ. The garden behind it is a mixture of dietes and violets (and a weed or two) so the mosaic has some stylised dietes on it. When I was weeding I found a ceramic ear from a broken dolls head, or maybe a quirky tea set (?? who knows? I'm not the original gardener) so its hiding amongst the dietes petals, but you have to look hard to see it. Liz says its like a signature, something that makes the finished product mine alone. Certainly no-one else is jumping up to take the credit, so mine it is!!

This has been over a week of the most enjoyable time I've spent in ages..... quiet mutterings when two pairs of hands hunt for the perfect shape, sighing over having to wield the hammer to break up more tiles into handy pieces, taking it in turns to make restorative coffee..... Celebrating the work of kindred spirits.

More grouting to be done and then I'll have to find those torches that are hidden in the garage and see if it was a good idea after all.

New Year again

2011-01-07T17:51:00.000+11:00

......and there were Christmas cards I should have sent, WOULD have sent, if only I had spent less time cooking and more time in the busy room. In a rare fit of tidying, I also made a start on culling the many bits and pieces I put aside "to look at" and kept because there's a picture or a colour that caught my eye. I loved the textures and patterns in some of the paintings in the brochures from the National Gallery, so before finally putting them in the recycling bin, I pulled out just a few and used them here. Black, of course, and my favourite image of this time of the year - the peaceful dove - combined in layers and a wee bit of ribbon. Found another use for the big punch that gives me a luggage tag shape, and only just remembered that there are several hundred REAL tags in a box of other really useful things.......

Hope this qualifies for the "year" bit Poobahs, now to make something else a bit more "happy" or maybe something related to "baby". Could also show you the "new" thing I'm in the middle of but its still a mess 'cos its a mosaic piece for the garden and they never look any good til the grout goes on. If I get it finished in the next few days, weather permitting, I'll post a picture of it, I promise.

Special destinations

2011-01-05T18:19:00.000+11:00

I've been lucky enough to have made several friends across the world through the simplicity of paper and the entries of this blog, and every now and then comes a chance to send something across the ocean in thanks. I like to think of these other women always in good spirits and smiling at their world, but of course like me, they have great times and grumpy ones, smiling happy days and dark miserable ones too. We never know what mood our readers are in, just as they never know what lies behind the posts or the comments we make.

I love to open my browser to find notification that a comment has been left on one of my posts, but I never open that email because I want to read the comment where it was added - thus many a time online begins with "I'll just check my email and then I'll start dinner..." - and ends much later while I follow threads of conversations and comments from my distant friends. It got me thinking about the importance of keeping in touch, and how small things can make a difference.

The cards in this posts today were made for people I've never met in person, yet. There's a lot of meaning in that one tiny word........who knows what lies ahead?

Special destination 1: This card used a piece from the La Creme stack which came in the post many many months ago. I was aiming for something elegant and rich, but as always I am seduced by the paper and probably don't add enough elements. Paper designers go to so much trouble and I often cant bear to show only a tiny piece, but maybe this was bit too much? Its felt-textured too, so I continued the richness with silver gilt paper and ribbon. Even the rik-rak is velvet.....

Then I got a bit carried away when another of the TE kits arrived in the post and I ventured back out into the rainbow.

Special destination 2: This card is still a celebration of the fabulous floral paper, but I did allow a bit of room for some restrained greens......... More ribbon (you should see how much lies spooling in the corners of this space) and a butterfly of sorts, just because.....

The two greens came from the 2010 August and September kits, and the floral DP has a lovely linen texture and is from a collection called "Restoration" which also came with the September kit. This is one paper that I'm hoarding every last scrap to use.

...and then there's this

2010-12-24T23:25:00.000+11:00

I freely admit to being inspired by those artists out here on the web who use a variety of ephemera to create tiny masterpieces..... Electra, this means you for one.......!!

My cousin Sue is a talented folk artist and possesses more than her fair share of ability at anything she turns her hand to, which makes gift-giving more than unusually fraught with difficulty: something store-bought just doesn't seem right. I bought these wooden buttons from Aussie Woodcraft at the Healesville market and had something crafty in mind, but what? After an evening blurfing (see Electra, there's that word again) I decided to combine the concept of an ATC with a collection of papers, and then frame the result. Let me say that the frame was the easy bit. I hunted through the big box of wooden things under the desk - and there was the perfect frame, all it needed was some sanding to neaten up the edges, and a bit of inspiration for the artwork in the centre. The finished work has no glass because the picture is in 3D.

I've used a piece of handmade paper with a lovely textured edge for the hills; the fields are a combination of SU designer paper overlaid with green gauze ribbon, and the sky is the reverse of a lovely SU paper that matches their Fifth Avenue Floral stamp set. The patterned ribbon at the bottom of the picture is a tiny piece from one of the TE kits.

Merry Christmas Sue.

Made it!! (OG # 83)

2010-12-23T16:21:00.000+11:00

Make it..... make it........ Who has time to make anything more than the bed? Ah, but then the holidays were upon me and once I caught up with the bits of housekeeping I had conveniently overlooked, and wrapped some Christmas presents, suddenly there was time to play. So Poobahs, here's my offering........

My friend Kim and I started school together (more years ago than either of us are prepared to admit) and her birthday heralds the beginning of holidays for us because it was always the day after Speech Night (which at our school was on the last day of the school year). She and I share a love for silver jewellery so it was only a short stretch of the imagination to make this necklace for her. I've used red coral, silver scallop shells and beads and a couple of tiny hematite (ironstone) balls as well.

And of course there had to be a card. I used lots of TE goodies here, and some cream card stock that seemed like a good idea at the time, but never seems to look as crisp as black or white........FINALLY, thanks to TE pushing me outside my monotone comfort zone, I have the papers with which to grace colours other than white!

Post Dinner Swoon

2010-11-20T22:30:00.003+11:00

.........oh have I had a meal. Anyone familiar with Chapel Street in Windsor should go and explore the menu at Dino's. We shared some interesting tapas (grilled asparagus with parmesan shavings, black heirloom tomatoes, cured ocean trout with beetroot strings) then roasted duck, wagyu sirloin and veal, followed by strawberry pannacotta and chocolate tart. Not to mention a soft pinot grigio and some great coffee. My Dad has found yet another good place (and I'm betting he and Mum were the oldest in the place by at least the 25 years that separates us!!) The prospect of breakfast, or ANY meal, in the next 24 hours is completely superfluous.

Add to the food: eccentric and casual diners, staff from all corners of the globe, attentive and amusing service, quirky artwork and retro leadlights. I had forgotten how much I miss the cosmopolitan side of my town when I'm hiding here in my safe and rather boring suburb (*** identity concealed ***)!!

Manly Men

2010-11-20T17:52:00.001+11:00

Here's Dad's card.... just time to upload before falling into the shower and getting ready for his big birthday bash, well, okay, the dinner booked in an upbeat bistro Dad's found. It makes a change from the usual sailing-themed ones I usually make for him, and it fits the bill for the latest Opus Gluei challenge too. Lots of layers, some leaves and a brad from a TE kit or two, ribbon from the Busy Room boxes, and an assortment of DP from Spotlight and La Creme (thanks Lisa, that's a gift that keeps on giving!!)

Can't wait..... have to run.

Happy 80th Birthday Dad!!

Lost time

2010-11-19T16:32:00.004+11:00

How can it be three weeks since I even opened the page? Where does the time go? Ah yes, writing reports, travelling to Canberra, writing more reports, Christmas shopping....... well, roll on December.

ooooo, sudden thought..... can make a card for the Poobahs AND have something special for my Dad in the same breath. Its not every year he turns 80! Cant wait to see the restaurant he's found for dinner this year - in Chapel Street no less, so its not going to be boring!! What a great thing to be still looking for things outside the square........

Find the artist of the image above here. Love the work of Mike Barr because its the Chapel Street I know from my childhood, captured as I remember it.

Messages for friends

2010-11-01T00:26:00.002+11:00

I love it when I can make a card with someone particular in mind....in principle.......but when it comes to actually sitting up to the desk and choosing colours, papers, ribbons etc, I can't make up my mind. Here are two cards I made recently - both for good friends of mine. The first is for a lovely lady going through some sad times. She makes beautiful things for other people, and is one of those empathetic people who know just when to post you a little present when you need a lift. My favourite is a box of chocolate frogs she sent me, along with an apology from her sons who had to taste test a couple to check that the packet wasn't past its "Use By" date........ Boys.

I think the two pieces of DP are from Stampin' Up and are a perfect match for the Kaiser flowers. The brads are from a multi-coloured pack I found at Spotlight, and the ribbon could be from anywhere. This Busy Room is getting more overloaded than ever before.

This next card had to match a truly exotic beach bag my friend chose from a stall at the Healesville Market last month. She wandered past and exclaimed over it so much that I had to go back and buy it for her BIG SPECIAL UMENTIONABLE birthday which was last week. We went out today to celebrate at a local winery where they served us a great lunch with some good wines. Despite the low clouds we enjoyed the magic views across the vineyards. Three tables of friends and family made for a lovely l-o-n-g day.

Everything I've used, except the big green brad, is from one or other of the magical TE Key Ingredients kits I've been gathering over the last few months. Don't know what I'd have done with out these little packets of surprises which wing their way over every month. The hardest part was sticking on the tiny sequin stars......I need better glasses, and smaller fingers!!

Everything is on a go-slow...

2010-10-31T22:22:00.001+11:00

...trying to upload but tonight, nothing works.Halloween at its best? or just another rainy night in Melbourne.

Bubble bubble.....

2010-10-17T23:22:00.000+11:00

Now you have to remember that we don't really do Halloween in Australia, despite the chocolate-driven intentions of the children in my street, so this week's challenge at Opus Gluei appeals to the witch in me, as opposed to pumpkins. I hope the Poobahs take their usual relaxed view of things and don't get too cross! Anyway, its taken so long for me to find my work table, not to mention my scissors, paper and double-sided tape that I hope I'm forgiven

So in homage to my favourite Romantic artist, John William Waterhouse, and in deference to the witches of my imagination... here are my three triangles, one circle and one half-circle as per recipe. And I even managed an embellishment or two, if you count the sketchy additions as well as some tiny bits of bling. You might need a magnifying glass to find the half circle, but its there.... follow the line of sight.

I REALLY like the witches in "Hocus Pocus", especially Bette Midler's buck teeth and flaming red hair....and the wonderful Thachery Binx of course (in cat form). I've never been able to look at my vacuum cleaner with quite the same equanimity since..........

Thanks to imdb for the photograph from the movie.

Christmas is coming.....

2010-10-13T18:22:00.000+11:00

I don't want to think about it, but Christmas is on the way. Yes I've started Christmas shopping (to be truthful, I never really stop), and I've even begun to think about what I might cook for the holiday visitor-fest (now that's a nice thought).... and Christmas goodies have begun to pop up in the nicest places. If you haven't ever visited Taylored Expressions, you've been missing out on lots of lovely things. Click on the badge on the side to see what is in store there for Christmas.... right now!

Summer??

2010-08-09T22:38:00.000+10:00

Summer........ cant wait. Winter has been particularly wet and cold this year, and although we need the rain and my garden is thriving, I do love a warm afternoon.

When I saw this image I could hear insects buzzing around and darting across the top of the water in the creek. There's just a soft sound of water moving and the grass is just a bit prickly and dry from a day in the sun. Pick up the hem of your skirt and slip off your sandals; slide your feet into the cool water just near the bank where its shallow and you can see the bottom.

Not sure if this is what Opus Gluei meant by dog days of summer, but it says summer to me. The papers are just a collection from the boxes, bits of black and orange and a whisper of gauze ribbon to break up the black..

Opus Gluei #66 The shirt off your back

2010-08-04T19:20:00.000+10:00

Those Poobahs try to push me out of my comfort zone every week, into the cat food of all places, but not this time!!

As if its going to make the slightest bit of difference whether I look up, down, behind me or anywhere else? What else is there to see but black? Its my uniform and I love it. Just to prove a point I pushed back the chair, grabbed the camera and aimed it straight at my feet..... black trousers, black shoes, okay, and spotted laces, but they're mostly black and they came from such a great shop on Southbank...... I bought check ones too, but that's for another day.

So that's when I settled back into such a comfortable space and reached for lots of little bits and pieces of black scraps that litter my desk. A piece of corrugated card with a hint of glitter, some parchment, a circle of velvety suede, some faceted brads and of course a matching piece of spotted ribbon. I have to admit this is not the most bright and beautiful ATC, but it is me. And if I'd used my shirt for inspiration (or in this wintery weather, my polar-fleece), it wouldn't have been any different!!

Sorry ladies, not this time.

Happy Birthday Katie

2010-07-31T00:28:00.001+10:00

It doesn't seem like 12 months since I made the last card for Katie, but it must be. My son asked me to make something for his friend, and its a pleasure. Katie has been a good friend to Simon for a long time, and calls herself "an honorary boy" because she's the only girl in the group which regularly drops in for pizza..... so much for my Friday nights home alone, not that I'm complaining very loudly.

.All the elements on this card are courtesy of a kit from Taylored Expressions, the extra one that came at the end of my 6 month subscription to her Key Ingredients sets. I started with my usual black CS (cant move too far out of the zone) but the other lovely papers and flowers and leaves are from the kit. I love the retro colours and psychedelic pattern of the DP. This is going to be a kit I'll be using a lot and soon it will all be gone!!

Opus Gluei #65 Fun with Ephemera

2010-07-27T20:10:00.002+10:00

Can I just upload my house? This ephemera challenge might just help me make space somwhere....

I've been doing a bit of my own de-cluttering lately, going through the many folders of paper images I cut for decoupage, so I was really in the mood for a bit more. Then I took a good look at a few other places around the place, such as a corner of the kitchen bench beside the phone, and the pinboard behind my desk which is supposed to be inspirational but which instead is a jumble of heaven only knows what..........

So here's an ATC with a medical theme: a printout from the Medicare (Govt health care rebate system)office sometime in 2008, a band-aid that's seen better days (no NOT USED, but a bit dusty from being in the corner of a drawer), some droplets that might be body fluids, but aren't, and some likely text that came from a brochure I was throwing out. That's one little space cleaned out......

....and then I tripped over a cat food dish which inspired the second. The little white card came from a packet of something cute and was prised off the pinboard (the other sign there says "Dogs have masters, cats have staff" but was too long to fit on anything other than the pinboard so its staying put), then I hunted about for the rest. The blue thing is Mr P's plastic registration tag for last year, the C is for cat. What else? And of course then there are four little pieces of cat food.....I had to seal them (must be the oddest use for Jo Sonja's sealer ever) so that the cats didn't eat them for a midnight snack. The fish is, well, another thing to eat?

What's cookin'........

2010-07-22T17:41:00.004+10:00

You can tell I'm home on leave.... two challenges in a week!!

This week's Opus Gluei challenge is to do something related to food..... and I was thinking, eat it, cook it, prepare it, shop for it, dine out etc etc etc but I've become obsessed with ATCs lately because they satisfy the creative bit of me that wants to make something using papers and bits and pieces. Having said that, there are almost NO bits OR pieces on either of these. So out with the cookbooks and in with the scissors. Who needs to eat anyway?

Both these cut-outs are from decoupage paper that always has so many images on it that there are hundreds to go round. I went off on a fruit theme for a year or two and every piece of paper made me hungry just to look at it. Have to find the big platter I made once, covered with cherries and several dozen coats of varnish. A story for another time....

I fixed both shapes to black paper and re-cut each image with a small border, then fixed them to their backgrounds with felt pads so they have a second shadow. The grapes have had their bloom emphasised by SU Crystal Effects, and they're mounted on a roughly torn piece of handmade blue paper and a black ATC. The apple and cherries have a triangle cut from a scrap of La Creme added to their black card.

Anyone for chocolate?

2010-07-21T20:59:00.000+10:00

Now I have to say that brown is not a colour I use very much, but I do like its vintage look, and its softness. And of course it reminds me of one of my favourite foods.... no I DO NOT mean burnt toast, or even vegemite. I might be fifth generation Australian, but there are other things I'd rather have on my toast than vegemite.....like maybe crunchy peanut butter, or quince jelly.

Back to the point.... I was reading Lisa's post yesterday about the lastest Pink Elephant Challenge which she'd entered as a member of their design team (where does she find the time??) and thought it was about time I branched out a little. This is what I made for their TPE 76 Color Challenge "Brown".

I finally found a use for this interesting piece of brown on brown faded DP but it needed a layer of cream underneath to separate it from the black CS base. I gathered up a variety of flowers, including an embossed SU Eastern Bloom, and layered them on along with some plain and spotted ribbon and some black and white brads. Its my sort of birthday card.

Make me smile

2010-07-15T11:39:00.003+10:00

I think I'm becoming hooked on ATCs because they're small. I freely admit that I don't use them as they're intended.... no real artist lives here, but I like the size and the lack of opportunity to add too many frills. Don't come to me for cute.

Oooo I do sound pernickety today...... small break for soothing cup of tea......

Return!

This week's OG challenge was to make them smile and I got so sidetracked in my picture folders that I kept on trying. So here's what I did: two deceptively nice gun-toting children coming home for tea, a hopeful suitor, dinner with intent, and a catty ballerina. I think some of the smiles might be ironic, assuming I succeed in making anyone smile at all.

All the images are from my decoupage folders in a vain attempt to minimise some small part of my busy room. Likewise all the little pieces of coloured CS are from that big mountain of bits that always needs to be in a bigger box than the one its in. I wrote the text because my printer is having one of those "I dont print on THAT" days, and here and there I sneaked in little bits of bling.

Far Out Brussel Sprout

2010-07-09T00:29:00.000+10:00

I guess there are some times you just have to be Australian. The other book in this series is Unreal Banana Peel, and they're collections of childrens rhymes and chants, best heard in the playground. I know it doesn't make sense, but that's where my mind wandered......

...which has absolutely NOTHING to do with this weeks challenge at Opus Gluei, except in name, because the challenge is FAR OUT. They were thinking aliens, Martians, stars, not vegetables. It wasn't until I went to a fabulous Tim Burton exhibition this week that inspiration for an ATC finally struck. There were just a few of his drawings in pastel on black paper, intricate multi-coloured planets and the odd shooting star, and I had a light-bulb moment. Black and white = infinity with a few twinkling things thrown in = easy peasy.

So here's my rocket blasting off back to Earth (that's the big blue sparkling thingy in the corner) from some place very inhospitable and rocky looking. Now I wish I'd made it a Tardis instead, but then it would have had to have had daleks and maybe a cyberman. Tricky. Too hard on such a tiny little piece of CS but I'll hold the thought...........

I'm very proud of the orange flame because its a piece of ribbon that I attacked with a pin to fray..... sometimes I scare myself. Details? Heavens, its not big enough to have any, except that the DP is still more from the La Creme stack which is always perfect no matter what the topic. There are black dots and some twinkling stars as well as the Earth (which just proves that 5 years ago when I bought the blue bling I must have known it would be useful....eventually).

Tim's birthday

2010-06-28T19:26:00.000+10:00

Where did those 21 years go? Tim is the middle son of a good friend, so I've known him since before he was born. He barracks for the Mighty Bombers, also known as Essendon to those quieter more sedate people, and their colours are red and black.

Being a quiet and unassuming Bombers supporter myself .........it was easy to find the right mix for his birthday card, given that most of the paper in my room is black. I uncovered the cuttlebug (see the next post below... its there on the edge of the bench) and used the squares folder. There are silver brads, and a wee piece of La Creme that was lurking in the corner of a box. The 21 is from a set of acrylic stamps that I've nearly worn out because they're so useful.

What's going on?

2010-06-28T17:44:00.000+10:00

They're wicked over there at Opus Gluei.... usually nobody, and I mean NOBODY sees the space I call my Busy Room, mainly because its a place only the owner could love. I followed the rules (I nearly wrote "guidelines" but who am I kidding, these are RULES) and didn't move a thing, just turned around from my computer and snapped some pictures. Then I looked , really looked, at them and there's hardly a bit of paper to be seen. I really do make cards here. Somewhere.

The best thing about my desk is that its high (I use a drafting stool to sit at it), and about 8 feet long, and 30 inches wide.... and the remaining workspace is about a foot square. It has a lovely big pinboard at the back and lots of shelves above. Ideal.....and full. The rest of the room is best left to your imagination.

Opus Gluei #59 Ice cream

2010-06-17T18:09:00.001+10:00

Have you ANY idea how cold it is here? Ice-cream? You've got to be joking. Today we had winds of 100+ km/h and hailstones (it was just as the classes were walking down to the bottom of the oval to see the mobile farm)(thank heavens for the big dryer in the laundry)...... but last night it was a little milder and I suddenly had the urge to break out the cuttlebug because it occurred to me that the spider web folder was just what I needed for waffle cones. I should have been asleep, but these OG challenges eat away at the little grey cells.....

So here is my ice-cream, but I couldn't resist a little mis-hap to keep the whole idea from being too cute. Shame about that choc-honeycomb chip one hitting the ground, but life does indeed have its moments. I had a bit of fun with the cuttlebug, a couple of circle punches and SU Crystal Effects which I keep forgetting about. The sentiment is from an acrylic set I found at Spotlight, and the DP is another piece from the wonderful La Creme stack.

Happy Birthday Alexandra

2010-06-14T15:53:00.000+10:00

Some girls are very pink, and that means I'm getting even further outside the zone than usual..... The only white thing about this card is the envelope, and there's not a speck of black to be seen. Never mind, she'll grow up soon and then, provided my fingers and brain still work together to make cards at all, I'll be able to charm her with something black and white.

In the meantime: this uses almost the last of my dragonflies, along with a little card cut out that came in a bundle from the Poobahs one day. The Francheville Tangerine Flowers DP was lurking in the busy room (probably wondering if it would ever be used!!)and the pink is so old its just a scrap with no name left. I used a cream card and matched it with some ribbon Lisa sent last year.

I love how my busy room boxes are full of little things from friends far and near. Using them on cards for other friends is a bit like paying it forward I think.

Life's a beach

2010-06-11T23:28:00.006+10:00

...its a bit cold for this today, but what a thought! Warm sun, a deserted beach and hopefully a good book. Then of course there must be the hotel just behind me, with a waiter just about to wander down the sand and remind me that lunch will be served soon, or perhaps ask if I'd like something refreshing to drink? Doesn't hurt to dream!!

I did sit on a beach a bit like this once on one of the lovely Whitsunday Islands..... no palm trees though, and DEFINITELY no waiter, or hotel for that matter.

This little slice of memory is for Opus Gluei #58. There's some coloured CS from the boxes, a piece of red ribbon to match the stripes in the beach towel, and that umbrella, some sand which I think I saved from my sons sandpit (to have on the bottom of candle bowls so the sand absorbs the wax)(L-o-n-g story related to my fire-protection absorbed husband who hated candles), and some shells saved from a wander along a beach some time in the past. The image is one I clipped from a magazine. I was trying to duplicate the horizon with the two colours of CS - sort of matching the sea. The passport stamp is one I've had for a while and its a really useful one to suggest far away places.

Maybe I should have used it on Ali's card too??

I can see clearly now (Opus Gluei #57)

2010-06-05T22:19:00.000+10:00

I have very bad memories of acetate sheet.... once a long time ago I made a card that was supposed to take its inspiration from the movie "Singing in the Rain" and I went off on a crazy tangent that involved simulating water on a window, my cuttlebug and a piece of acetate. I almost never recovered, and that particular card didn't make it to the archive. It should NEVER have made it to the entry stage either but that's another sad story. Well, we all have to start somewhere, some of us lower down the scale than others!!

Made two cards and like them both. Here's the first, and if you go down to the previous post you'll see the second. I finally worked out that I have to post in reverse order..... Anyway this one is a sympathy card destined unfortunately for a friend. I know its mostly black, and maybe that's a bit maudlin, but I also think its a stylish card and think she'll like it because she's a stylish lady herself. I left out lots of words because I want to write a message that doesn't need to jostle with a generated sentiment, and I'm not a big fan of gushing.

The acetate sheet is another pre-cut one (see the next post) with silver embossing, and there are a couple different ribbons (thanks for the spotted one Liz) and a layered Kaisercraft flower.

Opus Gluei #57 I can see even more clearly now

2010-06-05T22:11:00.002+10:00

.... more acetate sheet. This very minimalist attempt combines a Japanese image from my decoupage file with a pre-cut ATC sized piece of acetate with a silver frame embossed on it. I was hunting around at the local Spotlight and found a packet of these Fundamentals with 5 different designs printed on acetate and ready to go. I included the fragment picture just to show it is indeed acetate and terrible to photograph!

I know this will look too simple for most, but I seem to be on a "less-is-more" kick lately; plus it seems to compliment the oriental image. Japanese things always give me the impression that everything over the top has been shaved away and just the bones remain.

Bon Voyage Ali

2010-06-05T21:46:00.003+10:00

My very dear friend is off on the trip of a lifetime (until she gets home with itchy feet and plans the next one) catching up with family and travelling around the Mediterranean. Lucky girl. Can hardly wait for the photos because I know they'll be spectacular... not only is she going to be in wonderful places, but she has a great eye for the unusual so the holidays snaps will be anything but.........

Opus Gluei #56 Seasonal Icons

2010-05-26T18:36:00.002+10:00

Hmmm...dont know about this. All that colour, and buttons no less.....

Well this is supposed to be about icons of a season but once I saw Jana's collection of cards I started thinking about something to represent each of the seasons. I love the concept of ATCs, so that's what I chose. The set is linked by colours too, with each using something of the card before it, just like each season leaves shadows of itself before the next one is really THERE. The summer one has sunny sandy colours, a little length of blue rik-rak for the sea, and a fat fish blowing big bubbles. For autumn I used the colours of the leaves outside my window today, including just a little bit of green.

Its nearly winter so that made me think of frost and fog, hence the snowflake rub-on and the blues. There's just a wisp of cloud about too. And finally in spring there is still a hint of winter around, and the promise of the warmth of summer, so I added a flower and butterfly.

Gulp, that's 4 buttons, 8 different papers (thanks to my April kit from Taylored Expressions), 4 different pieces of ribbon, and not a piece of black to be seen.

Going to lie down now, feeling faint...............

Opus Gluei #54 "Fit to be tied"

2010-05-14T23:11:00.006+10:00

I'm with you Rosemary.... I love ribbons and can never resist another roll, just in case...... Once I opened a surprise parcel from the other side of the world and there were lots of little rolls of black and white ribbons in it and I was in 7th heaven for days. But do I use it? Of course not, I might need it. Go figure.

Then there's the dilemma of black on black on black, solved by ignoring it, and so here's my response to your challenge..... Black CS tied up with three different sorts of ribbon, mounted on gold just because I had some, and then on a black card. The flower was instead of a bow because I couldn't decide where to put a bow so that the end result wasn't too........ frilly? That's me sticking to my motto of straight lines and layers (I know my limitations!!). Inside is a creamy square to write on so I dont have to find a gel pen that will show up on black.

NGV

2010-05-09T18:29:00.000+10:00

Playing with the camera while waiting for the lift down to the carpark..... you may recognise this as a view through the water wall out to the concourse and StKilda Road.

Mothers Day #2

2010-05-09T18:23:00.003+10:00

Mmm... high tea..... a fine china tiered platter with the following: two tiny pies, a tiny pastie, three sandwich rolls (salmon, asparagus, egg)(but anything but plain like they sound), two hot scones with raspberry jam and thick cream. And that was just the top... add a collection of miniature cakes... a macaroon, a pistachio eclair, a vanilla eclair, a tiny perfect red velvet cake iced and topped with chocolate flowers, two little orange mousse served in chocolate cups, and a raspberry tartlet. We shared a beautiful pot of green tea.

Forgot to add that my day began with finding these beautiful flowers on the end of the kitchen bench. In his typical style, my sons card is fragment of recycled cardboard, hand lettered, and the flowers were gratefully soaking up water in a beer glass. Wouldn't change him for the world. The house is full of the perfume of Asiatic lilies.

Mothers Day 2010

2010-05-08T20:33:00.001+10:00

The older I get, the more like my mother I find myself becoming. To look at us, we dress similarly and our hair is cut the same way, and just today someone asked us if we were sisters. Which probably means she doesn't look her age and I do!!

One of the other things we share is a leaning towards black and white, so this year it was even easier to make a suitable card for Mothers Day. The DP is from the March Key Ingredients set from Taylored Expressions and I was so glad when I realised it was double-sided, because I've been struggling with the colours on the opposite side since I opened the box!! The flowers are my old favourite SU Eastern Blooms, embossed in gold and terracotta, with a couple of pearls added.

We celebrate Mothers Day in a very old-fashioned way with flowers and a meal out somewhere special, so this year we're going back to the NGV for high tea. We'll be the two women in black sharing a pot of tea while my Dad and my son work their way through the menu.

Midnight Madness Bog Candy

2010-05-02T18:57:00.000+10:00

You must hop over to Priscilla's blog and take a l-o-n-g look at the lovely collection she's made to celebrate one year of Midnight Madness Sketch Challenges. There's such a lot of things in this package and some lucky follower will have lots of fun playing with it when they win! Click here to visit the Midnight Madness blog and see for yourself.

If you've never entered the challenges, now would be a good time to start, and you just might be the lucky winner of all this lovely loot!!

Happy Anniversary Opus Gluei

2010-04-26T21:59:00.001+10:00

How can it have been only a year since the crafty Poobahs lured us into their glue-pots?? In order to celebrate their first year we, the glue users of their world, are allowed to make anything we choose.... so this is my offering with not a dot of glue to be seen. It made sense at the time!!

Its been a busy day repairing and remaking lots of bits and pieces of other people's jewellery and then I remembered something new I had to make. Giuliana likes skulls, she even wants them in her wedding hairpiece (a tiny one that only she will know is there) but that's still a couple of months away so she might change her mind............ Found these little guys at my beading supplier and turned them into earrings.

No glue, just a few twists of wire and some beads, but I made them.

S is for Sparkle

2010-04-20T23:02:00.001+10:00

Here's my suggestion for a sparkly card to fulfill the requirements at the ABC Challenge this week. My plan for sparkling butterflies and an intense time with the heat gun and embossing powders all fell in a gigantic heap when my friend Liz waved this glittery DP at me. The beautiful tree stamp is a SU one borrowed from Debbie (I seem to do that a lot lately) and embossed in silver on grey card. Some ribbon and diamonds and a slip of cloudy paper for a background......

Opus Gluei #50 For the Birds

2010-04-18T23:36:00.002+10:00

Look carefully.......... there really is a bird there. Sad to say life got in the way of greater thought about birds this week..... many things to finish for work, and all the other things which conspire to keep me away from my busy room.

I tried very hard to introduce some colour into my cards today but didn't really succeed too well with this one. BUT, there is a bird, albeit a very small one. I like the water droplet under the leaf, and the ribbon which is a lovely piece of stitched olive green but reversed here. The images are both from a Sweet & Sassy stamp set, and the DP and ink are SU (old olive).

Special thanks

2010-04-18T23:34:00.000+10:00

This week I was asked to make a card to thank a special member of our school community who has been a part of the School Council for years..... and seen us through three different Principals and quite a few staff. He's not a parent or a teacher, but a community member who joined the Council to give his time and expertise if it was wanted. For once the elements of the card came together quickly, and I hope he likes it.

I used the last of my big 6" pre-folded cards, very hard to find at the moment (I like them because they give me a big canvas to play on) and another piece of the lovely La Creme stack, plus some gold and black scraps. The DP is another sheet from the holiday stack I found a couple of weeks ago and the image is part of a compass.

TE Sketch Challenge #108

2010-04-10T19:06:00.002+10:00

Cant seem to break away from the busy room today, despite the large basket of ironing, the complaining cats ("Food... NOW"), the parsley and rosemary pots I should have planted (tomorrow.....). I needed a special card for a good friend and came across this sketch to motivate me. It will appeal to my friend because she's very obsessive about lines and spacing, but she'd have been horrified to see me winging the positioning without a ruler. The way I see it, I try to get it right and if its a little off centre, then its clearly handmade and unique! Any old machine can get perfection!

It was also the perfect way to use lots of black and white scraps which I cant bear to throw away just in case, and here's the case in question. Two pieces are from a sheet of Bella! Grace Paperz called Dandy, and the image across the bottom is from a little pad of squares with a holiday theme. There are a few brads and sequins and a little bow just because... The only thing that hasn't shown up is the real colour of the background which isn't blue at all but rather a lovely shade of purple.

ABC Challenge - R is for red

2010-04-10T08:22:00.001+10:00

Lovely excuse to play with red and black for this challenge...... Found these black cards and envelopes today and hunted through the card scraps to find some reds that complimented eachother. There's a piece of parchment textured red, and a tiny square of DP from Paper Chic, as well as flowers and a white brad to hold it all together. And yet another little piece of ribbon finds a home, well two little pieces to be truthful.

Thank heavens the challenges at ABC last for two weeks because it gives slow people time to organise themselves!!

MMSC #48 - the simple version

2010-04-09T17:18:00.001+10:00

Further to this morning's post, here's another attempt with the same paper but a bit of what I like best too... BLACK!! And I dont know that it works either, maybe my mojo has up and gone walkabout, maybe the paper didn't inspire me, maybe I should just stick to black and white.

I was so pleased to see a simple layout from Priscilla that I seized it and was cutting paper and ribbon when I should have been getting dressed to go out, but I was only a little bit late afterall.

This is for the Midnight Madness Sketch Challenge which I love because of its name before anything else. I chose the simpler layout because I struggle with bows and embellishments. The DP is the last interesting bit of Tangerine Flowers, and there is even a cuttlebugged layer under it all. Ribbon and foil bits from the come-in-handy box, and some decoupage cutting practice in evidence too.

Opus Gluei # 49 Sparkle

2010-04-09T09:26:00.003+10:00

I hate how my camera has a mind of its own and doesn't see the colours I do.... have been wandering the house searching for good light because my usual spot "Doesn't do yellow". Now there ladies (I'm addressing this to the Poobahs), that's one VERY GOOD REASON why monochrome is me! Its so easy to photograph!

Okay, whinge over.....

So the card.... well it looks better in real life, bit like its maker, and it has a huge list of ingredients. There's some Francheville Tangerine Flowers DP, assorted bits of custard coloured card bits, and the SU sentiment from their Inspired by nature set. I matched the iridescent embossing of the flowers by stamping the sentiment in the background as well as in copper on the centre strip. The butterfly escaped from my March kit from Taylored Expressions, and the gold gauze ribbon was hanging about looking for a home and so was the foil.

I wanted to avoid anything remotely black and white, but I think this would look more "passionate" if the tangerine leapt off a black page. Next time.

Goodies to play with

2010-04-02T16:59:00.002+11:00

Spent last Sunday crafting with the lovely Ali and Ev after several weeks of doing absolutely nothing except work-type work.

While Ali played with her newly acquired monotone Copics and Ev painted and varnished, I played with my newly received parcel of Key Ingredients from Taylored Expressions. The February pack could have been personalised for me (but it wasn't) because it was a great collection of black and white things, with some good solid colours thrown in too (think red, yellow, pink, green).

Here are two cards I made with a tiny part of the parcel. The bird stamp is SU one I dont own but borrowed one day from Debbie P, but the satin spotted flowers are in the kit as is all the spotted ribbon.

Cant show anyone the other things I made until they go where they're meant to be.............

Opus Gluei #48 Felt up

2010-04-02T16:28:00.001+11:00

Once I'd stopped snickering (what a great word that is) about the Challenge title I started thinking. L-o-n-g s-l-o-w process today.... First I went off on a felt tangent and fancied finding a felt mouse shaped pin-cushion I once made, but that was doomed to failure from the start. Where to start looking? About this point I began to wonder where the felt actually was........... PRESTO!! Very top shelf as you can see (that's it in the plastic bags which try to prevent dust).

Then I thought I'd be very clever and combine an old challenge with this new one because I really liked the basket of flowers from a couple of weeks ago (look here) but when I tried colouring yellow centres, well, it all went pear-shaped. Trust me, you had to be there.

So...... when in doubt, resort to comfort zone! Here is my slightly felted offering with profuse apologies for the same old thing in similar packaging (ie black and white again). I really like this figured paper, and its a scrap of wrapping paper that I had to keep. The flowers were going to be Mary Quant ones, but morphed into these instead, with little button centres. The sentiment is just a sticker from the days before I owned any stamps at all. Have to use them up!!

Then I made some other little things, but that's for another time.

Dragonfly Card Drive

2010-03-08T15:15:00.003+11:00

Its the little gestures that really matter in times of great stress, and particularly when we deal with the sickness or loss of someone we love. Life seems to stop for us, and we cannot understand how other people around us can still laugh, sit in the sun with a coffee, or even find matching shoes...... Taylor over at Taylored Expressions has a habit of finding good causes to support, and this one is such a simple idea, bringing with it the chance to gift a little light into a sad time. She writes:My sister-in-law and a high school friend both work as labor and delivery nurses at Sanford Medical Center in Sioux Falls, SD. When they told me about the wonderful work they're doing for parents suffering the loss of a newborn, I knew we could help! The cards we gather will be donated to the Neonatal Intensive Care nurses where they use the dragonfly as a symbol of hope for families who have lost a child during delivery or in the early stages of life. Families are given a dragonfly card while they are in the hospital as something to hold on to, cherish, and comfort them after the quiet time spent with their son or daughter. In addition to a card, the parents receive a small ring with a poem, a prayer shawl for the mother (to symbolize God wrapping his loving arms around her), along with baby footprints and baby molds.

The full story is on this special entry from her blog. Find the details of what to make and where to send it there.

I bought these dragonflies many years ago at the first ever Stitches & Craft Show I went to and I've struggled to find a way to use them. They were forgotten at the bottom of my come-in-handy box. I used a couple of different ways to attach them, with glue featuring VERY HEAVILY because I'd hate them to fall off before the cards were passed on. I used some ribbon from my friends Rosemary and Jana at Opus Gluei and a collection of flowers, brads, diamonds and card scraps. The stamp is one of the SU Pocket Silhouettes in my favourite olive green.

Last year when I needed the help of my friends to help me come to terms with overwhelming sadness, it was little things that made the difference on really dark days. I hope I can repay their kindness and love by paying it forward.

Opus Gluei #42 Asian Motivation - second attempt!

2010-02-19T22:57:00.001+11:00

And then of course I began cleaning up the mess I'd made and there in the back of a pocket was this lovely piece of tiger-ish paper....... The GPs did say they'd allow tigers (if pushed) so I played around with the scraps and this is what I had in the end.

I know I bought the patterned paper on impulse several years ago, SURE that I couldn't live without it, and the rest is just a collection of handy sized pieces that have been lying about. I think the gold foil might actually be from a box of chocolates but that makes me sound like a funny old lady hoarding paper from here and there...... WHICH IS NOT TRUE!!

Opus Gluei #42 Asian Motivation - first attempt!

2010-02-19T22:47:00.002+11:00

Something oriental.........

The tiger is considered to be the most noble of animals because he bears the symbol for king on his forehead. People born under the influence of this sign are said to be dynamic and to have strong leadership qualities. They are born optimists who make daring plans; they are attracted to danger, excitement and adventure. Applying the Earth Elemental Signs to the zodiac indicates that those born in 2010 (and also 1950) are metal tigers. Beware them... they are said to have added strength, to show little sentimentality, and can be inflexible.

.....which explains why I'm quite happy to be a horse, and a wood horse at that. No prizes for working out when I was born.........

And here's my take on the challenge: the gray circles are cut from a piece of beautiful paper sent to me by my friend Lisa (a La Creme stack) and the sentiment is from the SU Symbols of Solicitude and stamped on a scrap of red and gold soft hand made paper. The very best thing is the tiger stamp in the corner.... its one of a set of 12 and I like the fact that its hard to see it clearly. Its a modern "aged" stamp. The red ribbon is from the bottom of a box on the busy-room shelves.

Bubble Up Baby (Opus Gluei #39 )

2010-01-30T17:05:00.002+11:00

Now you have to understand that I've suddenly had to get used to being back at work after holidays, and my brain is feeling ever so slightly fried...........

It would have been SO cool to paint with bubble wrap, or roll myself in it (hard to photograph)(and probably not a good look), or maybe wrap the cat......... or perhaps not. So in the end I solved the problem of keeping my book dry while I'm in the bath. And I got to use some of a lovely big roll of book binding tape that I've been hoarding. I re-used a bubble-wrap envelope by cutting it up and then stapling and taping it back together in a better shape. I was a bit concerned that I wouldn't know which side of the book to pick up, so that's why there's an arrow on the front. This way up. And then of course it needed a bookmark that was fairly waterproof too, and reflected my love for reading.

So there you have it. A combination of two nice activities, and a solution to the latest tricky question from the Poobahs.

Wishes for a friend

2010-01-26T19:11:00.003+11:00

This special card was made for a friend who's a long way from me in distance, but close to my heart. Her emails bring bright lights into my inbox.

Couldn't recall where I'd seen this idea of ribbons crossing the card like a noticeboard until I was surfing the other night and came across it again. The original is SO MUCH better than mine (check it out here), but I like the idea, even though maybe this version could have more oomph. Anyway, the DP is from My Memories (and the other side is so boring!!)(well, I think so) and the extra mat just had to be a cheery yellow. The Kaiser flowers are pinned over printed ones on the paper. The ribbon is from my busy room..... and I thought it was sitting fairly tight on the card til I saw this photo. The sentiment was something I won in the Splitcoasters Raffle last year and have been looking for an excuse to use on something special.

I'm going to try the ribbon criss-cross thingy again with wider ribbon next time, but I still like my first attempt and hope my friend did too.

Opus Gluei #38 "Love your art"

2010-01-22T23:05:00.004+11:00

Talk about outside my comfort-zone.... but its amazing what you can do when you try. Those lovely Poobahs asked us for 5 ATCs this time, and I'm not sure if I got the theme exactly correct, because maybe we had to make 5 all the same. I didn't as you can see.

I used the heart theme and put one on each ATC, but then chose five different "arts" that I like to spend my time dabbling in. The first has a small card on it, using a SU wheel stamp, some ribbon and sticky diamonds. The heart is cut from a a length of padded ribbon. The second has a photograph I took of some big leaves floating in a fountain. I got out the cuttlebug too and the heart is a tiny gold one among the leaves. The white corners are supposed to look like photo mounts. The third is an example of extending a picture by painting in some of the background. The picture is part of The Shrine painted in 1895 by John William Waterhouse. His women are always mysterious. Heart-shaped brads are in two corners and the CS has a linen finish under the varnish so it looks like a canvas. The fourth is a library shelf with much more room than any of mine. I added a book mark just for fun (that's the silver chain). The fifth has nothing to do with paper and everything to do with beads. I like to break out the pliers when I need a change of injury (instead of paper-cuts I break finger-nails).

Once I got into the challenge I got a bit carried away and made a second set the same because we have to give these away and I wanted to keep them for myself.

Opus Gluei Challenge #37 Seeing Stars

2010-01-17T18:10:00.005+11:00

Okay, so I'm late. Apologies and grovelling understood.....please??

Spent today with friends making all sorts of things: Lydia painting beautiful tropical fish, Dot transforming a plate with delicate asian-influenced birds, Ev photographing images to use on a big square plate, Ali cutting out the last of her birdcage pieces. I had to respond to this challenge because, for one thing, I'd promised.

I made a few other cards before settling down to see stars. I used almost the last of my big 6" glossy black CS as a base and added a white mat and a starry sky DP that I've had for so long I cant remember where I bought it. There are some starry brads, lots of small iridescent embossed stars, and a couple which might be star-shaped black holes, and finally a big glittery silver star because I remembered how to use the SU Heat & Stick powder.

Didn't spill very much.

The sentiment is my favourite one because it fits so many occasions, not to mention whatever mood you might be in. Hope this is starry enough!!

Happy Birthday Mum

2010-01-15T18:51:00.009+11:00

Followed Ali's lead and took my Mum to the NGV today to celebrate her birthday (but we're not counting to see which one). It was a friendly collection of six: Mum and Dad, my cousins Sue and Chas, and Simon and me. We went up to the Tea Room and shared afternoon tea, and lots of extra scones (with lashings of strawberry jam and cream). So many teas to choose from, so many things to eat, and all them YUMMY.

Spent yesterday making a card for Mum and here it is........ I was inspired by one I had made for Debbie last year, but since my Mum is like me and wears lots of black (well, we DO live in Melbourne) I left out the white accents. I used a 6" black glossy card as a base and layered it with some Kagaz flocked paper from Officeworks, and some iridescent red scraps from the busy room folders. There's also a black mat, and a sentiment from SU Always which I borrowed from Debbies shelves. The flowers are a combination of mine and Debbies (hers is the lovely red one at the back) and a silver star brad to hold it all in place.

Looking at the finished card now, and its too late since I've already given it to Mum, it needs something extra on the black. Next time.

New start for 2010

2010-01-15T18:37:00.003+11:00

Where did the end of 2009 go? Life has a nasty habit of getting in the way of things I'd rather be doing, so one of my more probable resolutions for 2010 is to do more of what I'd like to do.

With the help of my friends, Debbie, Deb and Ali, I finally opened the dark and cobwebbed door behind which just might linger the tiniest bit of inspiration. I wonder, does ones mojo survive in dark and unfed gloom? So now to download the pictures and trim a few edges, and if I haven't forgotten how to manage my blog, I just might be back........

Hocus Pocus!!

2009-10-19T22:59:00.013+11:00

Ahhhh, dont you just love it when the comfort zone returns!! Created this card for Cinema Saturday Creative Challenge and for Opus Gluei.... a little magic goes a longer way sometimes.

I had fun with the cuttlebug cobweb folder and then went over all the lines with a fine point calligraphy pen, and added some raindrops for effect. I was puzzling over whether to use a black cat (very Thackery Binx, not to mention chat noir) when I chanced upon this image in my decoupage folders. "Escape" seemed the perfect sentiment given that the strange trio are perhaps beside a door or window....and that poor man looks terrified. As well he should. Blood red seemed the obvious choice for embossing. I think they have a ghoulish almost zombie look, I love their hair and outstretched hands.

This is definitely BLACK magic but I'm really only guessing!

Opus Gluei Challenge #28 Blue

2009-10-17T18:02:00.004+11:00

I was so pleased with my plan for this card which meant I'd actually have the right thing for Dad next year, but when I put it all together..... well, it doesn't really do what I wanted. So I'll put it on the bottom of the learning curve, and maybe I'll stick to black and white instead!!

Cant give many specifics about the DP I used because I was really clever and cut off the label, but the side I DIDN'T use is shades of sepia with faded images of ropes and compasses, and the other side is this old blue-print style with ships' plans all over it. My Dad is one of those Wind in the Willows "messing about in boats" sort of man, so the paper is just his style. The boat is layered on two shades of blue CS along with a length of sea-blue satin ribbon. The cogs are from the SU Sense of Time set, embossed with hologram dust. The sentiment is from Sweet 'n' Sassy.

It could have been better, but now I've run out of blue!

Opus Gluei Challenge #26 bling

2009-09-29T20:14:00.003+10:00

*Bling* indeed...... not feeling in a bling mood now after getting sparkles all over the place except where they were meant to be, and upending a pot of embossing powder, and being totally unable to find the diamond thingies.... Grrr

Okay, take two. Calming thoughts, deep breathing, and inspiration strikes! Haven't taken up the pliers and wires for a while but DO need a decent bookmark that I wont lose under the bed. Or if I do, it will be obvious when I shine a torch into that dark and dusty space. So here's my bookmark hook with a collection of silvery *bling*.

Proof that a card isn't always the solution to a problem!

Happy Birthday Michelle

2009-09-26T09:12:00.003+10:00

More motivation to get out the ribbons and card stock.... the daughter of a friend will be 18 this week. I like the Grant pearlescent CS so here it is again.

The creamy figured paper is from a lovely collection sent to me from my dear friend Lisa at The Craft's Meow: a big stack from La Creme which is full of my favourite non-colours (black and white, and cream and gray). She also sent the ribbon and I've just noticed that I put the bow on back-to-front. Ah well, nobody's perfect, least of all me!! I added some cream and gray pearls and a birthday greeting on a scrap of cream parchment that was lurking at the bottom of a box.

Thankyou Lisa for the inspiration. I think you could say its working, and........Happy Birthday Michelle!

Opus Glue Challenge #25

2009-09-26T08:54:00.006+10:00

You'll have to forgive my soft take on the theme this week..... its there in spirit! We had to add something to do with sewing and if you look REALLY closely with one eye shut, maybe....

I used Grant pearlescent CS in charcoal gray, with a piece of Kagaz handmade paper featuring stitched (well, almost!!) stems. The flower is a glittery little surprise from the Poobahs which I mounted on a Kaiser cutout for a bit more depth. There are pearly sequins with a bit of purple so that inspired the ribbon (STITCHED on the edges!!) and the sentiment which glitters too. Then I couldn't resist one last touch so there's a tiny white tipped dressmaker's pin down in the corner.

Yes I know I should have got out the sewing machine and quilted a tiny square, or painstakingly cross-stitched a black cat stretching in the sun.......but in the spirit of Opus Gluei, here it is.

with thanks....

2009-09-26T08:40:00.007+10:00

One afternoon I spent the hours in the company of my dear friends Ali and Ev, making these cards to thank so many friends who helped us to celebrate Peter's life. Even the thought of picking up paper and scissors had been too hard, but friends bolster you in ways I dont understand but accept with thanks.

It was fitting that the ingredients came from other friends.... a store of images stamped with Debbies SU Embrace Life, and lengths of ribbon from the Poobahs. I played with a little bit of colour and my blender pens, sometimes added gold or pearls, and found extra images from the SU Fifth Avenue Florals.

Who could know that the time spent stamping multiple copies of beautiful flowers would be needed so soon?

"To" and "From"

2009-08-29T17:24:00.006+10:00

One of the many things that happened last month was a decadent morning tea at the National Gallery, celebrating birthdays for two good friends. This is the card I made for Debbie.

Just had to use the SU Eastern Bloom, which is a bit of a joke between us, and also found this lovely textured paper for the background. I wanted the card to be distinctively coloured and stylish, because Debbie makes such lovely cards herself that anything less than hand-made wouldn't do. Then of course there was the stress of getting it right.

The red flocked paper is another Paper Chic DP from Officeworks, and its layered on black before being mounted on the white card. The ribbon is a present from the Poobahs, and has a satin sheen. I love it.

The second part of the post refers to a beautiful present to us which was organised by Debbie on behalf of three good friends. I forgot to include it in my last post, so here it is in solitary splendour! Its beautiful, and clearly loves being at my front door because its thriving. Thankyou Deb, Lisa and Debbie.

Katie's 21st

2009-08-26T22:46:00.006+10:00

Katie says she's "one of the boys" but she's also a stylish intelligent switched-on young woman. My son asked me to make her card and it was a pleasure.

I used Paper Chic DP from Officeworks. It has a silvery satin finish background and a great lacy design. The other bits are from the scrap box, except for the flower which is 3 layers of Kaiser shapes, secured with a split pin. It looked a bit dark so I coloured the centre with a silver gel pen. The stamps are a mixture of things that I bought with Ali when we snuck off to the Stitches and Craft Show earlier this year.

Peter - 31July 2009

2009-08-26T21:17:00.004+10:00

So much can happen in one month. Thankyou for your messages and support which have helped us through the days, and will continue to help us as we get used to a a life we never expected.

Challenge for a Sunday Afternoon #1

2009-07-25T22:01:00.006+10:00

A new Challenge!! My friend Lisa from The Craft's Meow has started up a challenge and the first one is good for me since I'm on a "clean-up" (not that you'd know from the amount of stuff still on my desk!!). You have to use something that's been lying about, waiting for your inspiration..... so I decided to try and find a use for the orange things I like but can never quite manage.

The DP is Bali Breeze from SU, and the terracotta scrap and orange ribbon are both from my "what-will-I-do-with-this?" folder, all on cream CS 4.5" square. The lovely flower is a SU Fifth Avenue Floral with some colouring and gold gel pen to pick up the stamens. The embossed sentiment is a bargain-box find, and the graduated pearls are from Creative Charms.

Opus Gluei #17 Christmas in July

2009-07-25T16:51:00.004+10:00

Hope the Poobahs forgive me this non-glue entry... I never make Christmas cards because I often don't send them til the last minute, and unless they're ready to go, well, I'd never send any at all. So when I read the Christmas theme of this challenge I almost (ALMOST, but not quite) gave up before I started...... but since the philosophy of the Opus Gluei is such a creative and forgiving one I thought some beading was in order.

I found some nice solid trees at my favourite bead stall in the market, and put them with silver baubles and some big pieces of something mysterious and red. Some kind of nut maybe, there are veins and odd cracks here and there.... Think this might be something I put on AFTER I've cooked the dinner on Christmas Day in case it gets caught in the oven door!!

Suddenly remembered that I'd borrowed a beautiful stamp from Debbie a couple of weeks ago, so had to make a couple of cards just to show I could. The lovely red tree is her SU stamp and the scribble tree is one of mine from Fern Gully. Lots of embossing because its the season for tinsel and sparkle. Merry Christmas!!

Birthday wishes

2009-07-12T16:04:00.004+10:00

Had to make something special for my friend whose birthday is next week....not you Ali, or Debbie. I couldn't possibly post anything here for you so early!! You two had better hope I have some time this week so you do actually get cards, not just pieces of folded CS with a quick note scribbled inside!! Anyway, back to my OTHER friend.... she's got lots to celebrate this week, the end of her chemo for one thing, and her birthday for another. There's still a way to go before her cancer treatment is over but I wanted to make her something bright and sparkly, just like the glasses of bubbly we'll be sharing.

I had fun with the versamark and embossing powders and glitter, and used a variety of bits from the busy room. The gold paper is a hangover from my early card making days when I relied more heavily on the texture of papers and less on stamps and embellishments. Couldn't resist using it here, and its nearly the last piece. I had fun with the sentiment stamp which had some outlined letters so I played with my new versamark pen too.

Pink, Green and Yellow somethings...

2009-07-12T14:38:00.006+10:00

Just how far out of one's comfort zone can a person step with one card? A l-o-n-g way!! Boy did I struggle with this, and it probably looks like it. STOP, enough waffle... to the point. The challenge from Stamp Something was to use pink, green and yellow in any shade....

This is a 6" card with addition of olive CS and a slip of Kaiser party twirl DP. I was able to match the colours with scraps for the circles, and also a piece of ribbon from the busy room boxes. I added some extra texture to the linen CS with versamark using a leaf frond acrylic stamp that I picked up in Lincraft, and embossed the sentiment using iridescent powder.

I dont think it looks too childish, maybe just a cheery little card for a blue day?

Cinema Saturday Creative Challenge #39

2009-07-07T23:54:00.003+10:00

So fancy that, another black and white challenge!! The movie this week is To Kill A Mockingbird which was a great movie staring the wonderful Gregory Peck. I hunted in my bookshelves and came up with the copy I read in school, my name and 1968 inscribed on the flyleaf.

I really wanted to highlight a theme from the story as well as indulge my delight in black and white, and the result is perhaps darker than I expected, but I like it. The bird and sentiment are SU images I borrowed from Debbie during our stamping day yesterday. I ran one panel of black CS through the cuttlebug, then re-mounted it on another panel of white. The flower is a double bloom I made from Kaiser pieces, and the pearl centre is a collection from the busy-room boxes. It picks up the floral detail on the bird which has been embossed to make it glossy. The black petals looked very dull so I drew in details with a white gel pen. The slender gingham ribbon is part of a gift from the GPs at Opus Gluei.

I chose the sentiment because I think it reflects something of Harper Lee's positive message about having the confidence to do what you believe is right, even in the face of opposition.

ABC Challenge - U for USA

2009-07-07T23:23:00.003+10:00

...and a belated Opus Gluei Challenge 14 Patriotic

Since I'm not even remotely American, and my only US-related relative is my Dad's cousin (and her US husband died years ago........) this wasn't really a challenge that jumped up and grabbed me. But, then I spent the day with my friends Debbie and Ali, stamping and browsing the SU catalogue and eating and laughing, and suddenly inspiration struck!! Might have something to do with being able to use Debbie's red and blue stamp pads too, or was it the beautiful soup she made for lunch?

The stars and sentiment are from SU In The Stars, and heaven only knows which inks I used (Debbie will know!!). Cant always get my head around coloured CS, so its all on a white C6 card from a pack on my shelves. I played around with navy blue CS to make the stripes, and punched out all the stars which saved me endless snipping with the decoupage scissors. I showed it to my son to see what he'd make of it, and his reaction was "Why have you made a card for the USA?" so I guess it looks right to him at least.

Friday Fill-ins #131

2009-07-04T17:26:00.002+10:00

1. When I heard that ridiculous air-horn I knew my son was finally home.

2. Chocolate and a good book is my very best medicine.

3. It's late, but who cares, I'm still eating Easter eggs.

4. Winter always.

5. My eyes have seen too many new books and I'm leaving this book shop now before my credit card melts.

6. Stilton smells strongly.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to catching up with my friend Ann, tomorrow my plans include having lunch with my parents and Sunday, I want to plant the things I bought from the nursery!

Opus Gluei # 15 Nice day for a .....

2009-06-29T18:26:00.003+10:00

...white wedding. Well this wasn't tricky to make, but it WAS tricky to photograph. My son (the expert) went out to deliver pizzas and left me to my own devices. Oh well...

Following instructions from the Poobahs, I used white, white and more white. The CS is textured and from my busy room, ditto the last piece of grosgrain ribbon. I used the beautiful SU Baroque Motif for the background image, embossed in white pearl, and a little SU Figures of Speech sentiment. Had to add the diamond of course, and it echoes the hologram embossing powder I used. Its quite legible in real life, but hard to see here. The sentiment reads "to have and to hold".

Another new baby!!

2009-06-29T16:13:00.005+10:00

This card took ages to think about and minutes to make. My friend's daughter has just had her first child, Jasmine, and I wanted something very feminine and not too frilly.

I've used sparkly Francheville DP which is barely pink, and topped it with a tiny cuttlebug embossed square. I love this little present, carried by the heart, so I made it glisten with SU Crystal Effects too.. The bow is a piece of grosgrain ribbon from a very deep box!

ABC Challenge:Two-tone

2009-06-29T15:32:00.006+10:00

Finally found time to make up a card for the ABC Challenges, they're up to T so its taken me a while!! This week the request is to keep it simple and make a card in two tones.

I've used some terracotta and black CS, and put the black through a cuttlebug folder before placing it. The tree branch stamp is Taylored Expressions and its been embossed with black hologram powder. The sentiment is SU, and embossed in terracotta. I added some black pearls to tie the sentiment strip to the base, and reflect something of the shine of the tree.

It would have been so much easier to use black and white, but not so much of a challenge.

Friday Fill-ins #130

2009-06-26T17:57:00.002+10:00

1. She had a great idea for getting out of working one day last term, so that's what we did and boy did we get caught out.

2. This laptop is by my side, always, because my life is on it.

3. I know this: your laptop battery will always die in the middle of the most important thing you've used it for today, when there isn't a power-point within reach.

4. This morning, when I went out to scrape the ice off my windscreen, there was barely a breath of wind, the sun was just an idea and my street was completely still.

5. These words apply to me: bibliophile, star-gazer, gardener, hoarder, inquisitive, non-swimming, green-tea drinker.

6. Today, when I stepped out into the playground to umpire a soccer-match, the sun was shining.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to sharing a meal with friends, tomorrow my plans include sharing another meal with friends and Sunday, I want to refrain from eating!

Black, white & one colour somethings

2009-06-23T20:32:00.007+10:00

Followed some links the other night and came across this challenge on Stamp Something which I have to admit was made for me. Black and white... what could be easier?? Finding the other colour, that's what!!

I was able to use some strips of a lovely DP from Grace Paperz which is doublesided: delicate tracery on one side and funky daisies and stripes on the other. The central flower is cut from a wrapping paper sample and embellished with black pearls. The sentiment is part of a Kaiser acrylic set and it gave me a chance to play with my SU Heat & Stick Powder and some glitter thats been lurking in a box for a year or ten. At the last minute I added some velvet ric-rac and square black brads because I always err on the side of plain. Old habits die hard.

And the other colour? Gold.

Happy Birthday Oscar!

2009-06-21T10:15:00.004+10:00

You know how you read in magazines about the difficulty of cooking dinner for a friend who's a chef? Well, the father of this little boy is a designer and printer. He looks at things like the grain on card stock and comments on the difference one point in font size makes (of course he knows the name of the font and how much ink was left in the printer!!) and examines the card minutely to see how its made. Aghhhhhhhh....

So after a few years, you just have to shrug your shoulders and make cards for his family anyway!

I cut present shapes from scraps of CS to match the wrapping paper, well ALMOST match, and decorated them with scraps of ribbon and circles punched from some DP. The number is meant to look old and grainy, and I used Versamark and old gold embossing powder.

Opus Gluei #13 ...all about growing

2009-06-20T21:33:00.002+10:00

Nearly didn't make it for this challenge, but here it is.

The instructions were to create something about growing, and included thoughts about farmers markets, gardening catalogues, and just enjoying the sight of a garden. I had these seed-packet shaped pictures cut out for ages, meaning to decoupage them onto a box for my green-fingered cousin...... but they're still sitting in the folder. So now there's one less!!

I hunted in my local $2 shop for the right colour ribbon, and matched it to some Sassafras and SU papers, added some brads and it was done. Maybe the card will make its way to my cousin instead!

Friday Fill-ins #129

2009-06-19T16:55:00.005+10:00

1. All children alarm their parents, if only because you are forever expecting them to do some of the things you did!

2. Show me a good loser and I will show you a someone who cares more about how other people feel than themselves.

3. Being totally indulgent is (like) eating an entire box of chocolate liqueurs at one time, or what I'd prefer which is a whole box of Belgian chocolate sea-shells.

4. Too bad that all the people who know how to run the country are busy organising families and working at full-time paid jobs simultaneously.

5. I have yet to hear a man ask for advice on how to combine listening to the football and checking the oil and water in his car.

6. It is impossible to think of any good meal, no matter how plain or elegant, without bread or fresh fruit in it.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to salt & pepper calamari for dinner, tomorrow my plans include picking up my husband from his latest adventure and Sunday, I want to sleep in!

Happy Birthday Luca!

2009-06-14T19:03:00.006+10:00

Everybody wants to be a Super Hero, especially when you're only 2 years old!! Spiderman to the rescue (giving me a chance to use that spider-web embossing folder at last). There's not a lot going on here, but I did have fun finding the right graphic and printing it out. The papers match the super-hero suit, and the black jewels of the spider-web are....... well, I don't know, flies?? Couldn't get too serious here; does it show?

Happy Birthday Alexandra!!

2009-06-14T18:40:00.005+10:00

Tuesday, June 16th. Guess who turns 9? This is for the daughter of a friend and colleague, a very girly girl who loves pink. Since this is SO far outside my comfort zone, I had to post a picture of it to prove I can make something light and frothy. The main paper is a piece of saved handmade paper with some satin stitching. I added some DP, pink gauze ribbon and some pearls. Hope she likes it.

Cinema Saturday Creative Challenge #36

2009-06-14T18:03:00.007+10:00

The movie this week is Beauty and the Beast, and the instruction is to use some fantasy for inspiration. I thought of Belle wishing for so many things in her life: change, love, freedom amongst them. Wishing brings stars to mind and so came my idea for the card.

There is lots of sparkle to represent stars twinkling, and a delicate pattern of dew drops on the background. The black and silver represents the evenings when stars shine through the castle windows. When I was little, my Mum always recited the sentiment "Star light, star bright, first star I see tonight. I wish I may, I wish I might, have the wish I wish tonight" whenever the Evening Star came out. When I grew up I found out this was always Venus, a big romantic star indeed. Finding a stamp with this verse was a special treat.

The card is a big 6in square one, with Francheville DP Pink Diamond Bling for background. The stamps are SU Stars (standard wheel), Stamp It! star, and the words are from the SU In The Stars set. The deep rose paper scrap and gauze ribbon are from my busy-room boxes. The little stars are embossed with dark hologram dust, there are a few diamonds in there too, and the big star has an acetate sheet cover to make it shine.

Friday Fill-ins #128

2009-06-12T17:47:00.004+10:00

1. I grew up thinking my football team would always win.

2. The internet movie database (imdb) was the last website I was at before coming here.

3. Why don't you move over and let me have some of the blankets because its only 5 degrees outside and there's only so much of me that the cat can keep warm?

4. A massage, someone else cooking my meal, a cold glass of champagne, and an open fire help me relax, which explains why generally I don't..........

5. Thanks for the coffee, cookie and laughter this afternoon Lorraine.

6. I find high-pressure sales ladies in clothing shops, trying to talk me out of black and into "something to bring out my colouring" very off-putting.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to curling up in front of the television, watching Silent Witness, tomorrow my plans include thanking my mum for buying me a stunning pair of boots for my birthday and Sunday, I want to catch up with my brother-in-law who's flying back to Hobart!

Blairgowrie

2009-06-10T19:04:00.013+10:00

Dusk, winter, low tide.

We've driven down the road to the Yacht Squadron, pulled in to park behind the bathing boxes, and scrambled down the remains of a set of wooden steps to get onto the beach. The bay is calm, the wind has died away and when its too dark to keep walking, we'll head home for tea by the open fire. My friends are busy photographing the dying light across the water but I keep walking.

Thought I'd post this to give the non-Oz readers a tiny view into the parts of Melbourne I love most.

Opus Gluei #12 Sand & Shells

2009-06-09T20:33:00.006+10:00

Since I'm sitting here in woollen trousers, long-sleeved jumper, fur-lined vest and my woolliest socks, even THINKING about sand and shells is difficult. I love the beach in winter, but its such a warm-weather destination for the most part.

So this is a card to evoke memories of walking along the sandy beaches at Blairgowrie, right at the edge of the water as it recedes, leaving the sand wet and glistening. I'd have left my thongs in the sand just far enough out of the water to avoid losing them when the waves wash back, and I'd be walking, head bent, looking for shells or jellies or tiny interesting pieces of driftwood. Hours pass, and I'm late for lunch......................

I used a piece of sandy coloured CS, some Colleen King Ocean Sands DP and some scraps for the thongs which have been embossed and then coloured with a gold gel pen. The stamps are from my local discount store specials bin, and the pieces of ribbon have finally come in handy!! I left them loose and cut the sentiment card to look a little like a banner pulled across the sky by a small plane. The tiny shells are from Blairgowrie beach one summer.

Unfortunately...

2009-06-04T09:40:00.006+10:00

Have to thank Rosemary over at "Free advice worth every penny" for this idea. Basically you open a google search option and type in "unfortunately (your name)" and see what comes up. I tried my name, but no-one really has that one spelled the same way, and Chat Noir was a bit of a fizzer too, which is not surprising since most of the options would be in french. That left black cat and here are some of the options.....

Unfortunately, training a black cat is not rocket science.
Who on earth would try and train a cat anyway? I love them just the way they are (elegant, selfish, alert, hungry and bossy).

Unfortunately the black cat hadn't seen the film, or if he had, he'd slept through it.
Clearly this cat doesn't waste his time on mediocrity. Falling alseep gets you out of lots of situations, and maybe into a few others. Wouldn't help for a Cinema Challenge though...

Unfortunately black cats have a frightful reputation.
Now that's totally undeserved, I have two beautiful ones who are part of the family.

Unfortunately black cats do suffer from the stigma of their colour.
Well, since its about the only colour I wear (living in Melbourne is SOOO predictable), I take exception to there being ANY stigma about black.

Unfortunately black kitties find it harder than others to be re-homed.
Kitties? Little sort-of-cute-furry things that fit in a handbag? Now a CAT is an independent thoughtful and articulate animal who might choose to sit near your handbag but only if it matched!

Unfortunately Black Cat still has her targeted, and he never misses a target.
Sounds like every black cat I've had.

Thanks Rosemary. I liked this!!

Gemini birthday explosion #2

2009-05-31T19:10:00.004+10:00

This is slightly mis-named because one is for a June Gemini, but the other is my sister-in-law whose birthday fell a few weeks ago when she was away. The Japanese influenced one is for my brother-in-law whose birthday is any day now. I've put them together because the family is all getting together this week to celebrate the other two Gemini birthdays, mine and my son's, over the next couple of days. Haven't made my son's card this year as I found the perfect quirky one at Readings (in Carlton) the other day....hope he remembers to sneak into the busy room to make one for me.

I love the Taylored Expressions window and I think it looks better with these flowers with it. They're SU Eastern Blooms with a grey pearl in the centre of each one. The background went through the cuttlebug to simulate timber. Looks like I was drawn to these colours for both... even the ink for the monkey which is from a set of chinese stamps featuring the 12 years. I looked up the characteristics of people born in the year of the monkey, and it suits my brother-in-law to a T. The creamy coloured paper is the last piece of papyrus in my stash.

Gemini birthday explosion #1

2009-05-31T18:33:00.007+10:00

First for two dear friends whose birthdays are at the end of May. Doing really well this year... forgot to send the early one, and took the later one a week early. Just as well they both know me well!! Happy Birthday Sue and Ev.

The green one has pieces of SU Old Olive that I embossed one day at Debbie's place, as well as some Bali Breeze CS, a slip of satin ribbon and some half pearls. The blue one is really a celebration of blue because that's Ev's favourite colour. I picked out the circular shapes for the sentiment and echoed them inside too.

Friday Fill-ins #126

2009-05-29T13:15:00.004+10:00

Another Friday, another set of cloze exercises!!

1. It's cold and my socks aren't long enough.

2. Mostly in winter I prefer pumpkin, but sometimes I might eat tomatoes.

3. My favorite health and beauty product is too expensive so I'll settle for a cup of green tea.

4. Travelling by tram gives me a nice long ride and time to read my book.

5. Well, first of all, this is going to be a l-o-n-g story, so sit down and get comfortable.

6. My students, some staff, and three old motorbikes; those were the cast of characters in a recent dream and it was a scary awakening.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to tea with friends, tomorrow my plans include spending time at Debbie's house playing with inks and stamps and Sunday, I want to put the new plants in the garden!