BLOG CANDY EXTRAVAGANZA!

You will certainly want to check this blog candy out! Crissy is giving away seven AMAZING prizes on her blog... oh they are great! There is so much fun stuff there I want to be able to enter!!

It's a Jungle Out There

And it is too! When I was watercolouring this image (it took hours!) I watched Lemony Snicket: A Series of Unfortunate Events. Now the bit in that movie that makes me squirm each time is the part with the leeches. Even though you don't actually see them, having them in the water scares me. I didn't have a whole lot of reason then to be worried but I do now....

I went walking a few weeks ago with my dad in the rainforest. It is a rough, barely used walking track to a really nice waterfall, I was taking photos, enjoying the view when I looked down and I had a leech on my leg! After screaming and jumping around for a bit I got it off (well, dad did... I wasn't touching it)... little did I know that leech was creating a diversion while I was being ambushed by a gang of more dangerous, blood-sucking leeches!! ARGH! I had about seven on each foot and they were getting in my shoes everywhere! This went on for a few hours... every time we stopped walking I had to take my shoes off and pick them off... then they got stuck to my fingers... EWW! Well, the end of the story is my foot didn't take too kindly to such an attack and I got what I now call 'Blimp Foot' where my foot and ankle (or Cankle as it was then) got so swollen it resembled a blimp for a week that I couldn't drive the car or walk further than the toilet... and had to take three days off work! I looked pretty silly limping with no shoe (double EWW!) though the doctor surgery to get anti-biotics.

The END!

Now to the card... this is WALKABOUT WALLY! He has decent footwear on while he is trecking but as my dad found out that day, the leeches still get through your socks and down to your toes even in boots. Wally might need leech proof socks...!

What's The Buzz?

What IS the buzz you say?? Well... this week for the High Hopes Challenge, Lacey would like us to use stars or stripes... or both even! I chose stripes because I really wanted to use stripy Hunny Bear. Remember, if you want to join in our challenge, pop on over to the High Hopes blog for the details and if you put a link to your card in the comments section you will go into the draw to win the stamps that Lacey used on her card this week!

That isn't the only High Hopes news that is buzzing... hang around the diva blogs this week and we will let you in on the excitement!! I can't wait!!

Oops Ellie and Seymore's Sick Day

Remember this post? I gave a tiny sneak peek a while back of a couple cards I was working on. Well, now they have been published! They are in the Collectors Issue - Vol. 15 No.01 of Cardmaking, Stamping & Papercraft.

This time I was asked to make an 'I forgot' card and a sick teen without actually using the words 'Get Well Soon'... these stamps were perfect and I when I was reading the email I immediately knew which stamps I wanted to use. I used Oops Ellie and Seymore's Sick Day.

Beary Sweet Notebook

This is Beary Sweet Sign and he is certainly sweet! I made this notebook for a friend that is moving to our unit at work. I have the idea in my head that my notebook is gold. It has been years in progress and I figure, if it's worth asking, its worth writing in the notebook... that way I don't have to ask again. So, I thought it would be worth giving her a notebook too to make her feel welcome.

It took me a while to think of something to write on the front of the sign but then I thought about it for a while and figured... when I get to a tough spot (usually about debits and credits!) I always think to myself 'what on earth did they say again??' then I go check my notes.

In person Beary is so rich with colour and shimmers he looks so CUTE! It will be a little bit sad to give him away but it's not as though I wont still see him everyday!

Meet Milton!

It's challenge time again and this week I used Milton (Mudzie's geeky brother) and Garden Gate. This one took me days to watercolour but I am so happy with the outcome. I was a little worried that with so much going on with the garden gate it wouldn't stand out very well behind Milton but I was wrong... it looks great.

So anyway, this week Jeanne would like us to use up our scraps. The pattern paper I used on this card is stuff I have had in my stash for what seems like years... probably not but I have had it for a very long time and there is only a tiny bit left. They last time I used it was on this card with Juliette's Leap of Faith way back in August last year.

Two cute owls...

Sitting in a tree! Everytime I look at this stamp I can't help but go "awwwww". I got some inspiration for the layout of the card from Sketch & Stash. I was a bit stumped about what to do with the card until then! This is a stamp where the Twinkling H2O's really come into their own. The photo isn't fantastic but in person the colours on these owls is really rich and shimmery. I like the More Mustard on their heads graduating into Close to Cocoa. I got that idea from Rachelle Anne Miller website... she has great ideas there of what colours you can use on her stamps to really bring them to life. I would never have thought of these colours together!

So, I resorted to the flowers and wire again (if you haven't been following my blog for long, I got hooked in a big, big way around Christmas... I almost needed flower and wire rehab).

If you look carefully, I also put some metallic rub-ons around the edges of the card. It stands out better IRL but doesn't most things on cards? Your agreeing with me right now aren't you? Now you're smiling now because I'm right? *grin*

What up dawg?

This is a simple card but I think it was enough! Odie Dog is cute in his own so I don't think he needs a whole lot more around him to bring a smile to someones face.. well certainly not mine anyway. I think he is just adorable! You know, I watercoloured this image the third night we were in our new house. I had just received the stamps the night before they were to be released and wanted to quickly get a card done. Well, I didn't get that card done until this week but it is better late then never!

SMILE! Odie is...

One Hopefull Ant

This is Hopeful Ant... isn't he sweet?? I made this card for this weeks High Hopes Challenge. Nikki has provided us with a fun sketch to work with this week and I realised it was really fun to not have to think too hard about what you are going to do with the paper! I don't use sketches very often which I think is where I am going wrong!! I have been looking around this weekend for a few sites that do sketches. So here is a question for you, what is your favouite card sketch site? I occasionally join in on the SCS weekly challenge but I would like to know if there are any others hanging around out there that are great too!

Oh, before I trundle off to do some watercolouring, remember if you do decide to join in on the High Hopes Challenge, link your card to the thread on the HH blog (the link is above) and you will go into the draw to win the stamps used on Nikki's card!!

Hope you are back on your feet...

I made this bright card a few weeks ago for my new friend Heidi (hello!) but I wanted to make sure she received it before I posted a photo of it. Heidi hurt her leg so this image was perfect, I thought. The stamp is called Coles Laid Up!

Somebunny Loves You...

Guess what? I just realised I forgot to post my challenge card for last Sunday!! I can't believe I just forgot... what's more though is I can't believe I forgot for THREE days!! It's like it slipped my mind, ran for 15 kms, found on old barn to cut off the handcuffs then laid low for three days!!

Well, better late than never, here it is... my pink and brown card for the High Hopes Challenge. This is the first time I have gotten around to using these cute little bunnies and I really think I am going to have to use them again soon... could they be any more sweet??

Bath Belly Flopping 101

This is my first go at digital scrapbookin! It was SO fun but I don't think it can take the place of normal scrapbooking though with real paper and real layers. The thing I liked best was that it is so quick! You can move and delete things, try stuff out and if you don't have anything, just google it, download it and you have it straight away! I don't have to wait a week for the postie to turn up!

So, this is a layout of my nephew Caleb when he came to stay a few weeks ago. He doesn't have a bath at his house so he was really excited to use mine. I used a free digital kit from Two Peas called Schoolin' and it was watching these video tutorials that made me take the leap over to the dark side and give it a go! I think if you click this picture it should come up bigger so you can actually read the writitng without your go-go-gadget-eyes.

Mad Cow

Ok.... it's obvious... Bossie is MAD! Not really sure why but I don't think she needs an excuse. Three weeks of overcast sky and rain has taken its toll on her maybe?

This week we are doodling on our cards for the High Hopes Challenge. I wanted to doodle more but my white gel pen is starting to misbehave. Had I have known, I would have chosen different colours for my card!

Have you noticed the quality of my photos has been bad lately? It has been driving me crazy! We broke my fluro light when we moved house a couple months ago and replaced it with a different one that had a slightly warmer light which meant that I had a horrible orange glow on my photos. Well, four electrical wholesalers later we found the right light! YAY! I hate having to touch my photos up in Photoshop so now they are white again and I don't have to!

Princess & Albert

Sitting Princess and Albert are in print! Although I have absolutley loved every stylised photo of my cards, this would have to be my fave photo yet. I LOVE the green and the rope stuff goes so well with a little pinkish background... it looks really cute! My photo is a bit dodgy but trust me, it looks better in person!!

You can see my photos here and here.

The issue my cards are in this month is Vol 14 No 11 of Australian Cardmaking, Stamping & Papercraft and I also got a big surprise. I am the featured stamper! I answered the 20 questions ages ago but didn't know which issue it would be in. I got heaps of emails telling me I was in there before my mag even arrived (Grr... everything takes ages to get here... apparently Cairns is remote!). MAN was it exciting seeing my profile... yeah... horrifically scary having my photo in a magazine but still exciting! It still seems a bit weird to me that someone wanted to use up two pages of their excellent magazine on me!

It's still raining...

If you live anywhere near me you will have noticed that it has been raining for over a week now and personally I feel like it's getting old. I love the rain but I am ready for some sun now! It's 'one for the boys' this week at the High Hopes Blog. Anna is hosting this challenge so pop on over to see what stamps you could win for joining in!

Seeing as it has been raining so much I decided to use Willard Weather Ant seeing as we are having so much rain!

Thinking Outside the Card

It's High Hopes challenge time! I am hosting this one too! This week we are thinking outside the card so basically, anything that isn't a card! Here is what I made:

This is my stamp index... I have been using this for almost a year now to show me what stamps I have and where they are. I couldn't possibly keep up with them all so instead of rummaging through my drawers I just flip through my little notebook. Up until this week it has just been raw and uncovered but now it is finally pretty!

So, this is how I store my stamps, all in drawers and categorised. So I know where everything is I have categorised my stamp index too.

I have little front pages for each category... like this....

Then I have little thumbnail pictures of all the stamps that live in the drawer. To tell you the honest truth... without my stamp index I can never remember where anything is and I never remember what stamps I have!! Each page is printed on regular printer paper and lightly glued in. That way if the page changes with new stamps I can easily remove the page and replace it with the new one. I have purposely spaced some stamps out on some pages to leave room for more to fit in without having to pull the notebook apart and insert another page.



My animals category keeps all of the animal stamps that are not from the latest few releases or don't fit into Farmyard or Fairytale.

Everyday things is the spot where I keep trees, flowers, balloons and general bits and pieces that don't fit specifically and only in one category. This is the area I come most to... usually when I am looking for a filler for a card and can't think of something to occupy the spot!

The latest category is Garden... these new release stamps are so cute!! I also have a category for people but I haven't quite finished that one yet so it isn't in the index. I have started Christmas from the back because that is going to keep on expanding so it wont outgrow its area. When the book gets too big for the spirals (that might be soon!) I am going to take it to a binding shop and see if I can get bigger spirals for it. That way I will never have to change it! Well hopefully anyway!!

Splish Splash!

Splish Splash, Burt I was takin' a bath
Long about a Saturday night
A rub-a-dub, just relaxin' in the tub
Thinkin' everything was alright
Well, I stepped out the tub, put my feet on the floor,
I wrapped the towel around me and I
Opened the door, and then I
Splish, Splash! I jumped back in the bath.
Well how was I to know there was a party going on?

They was a-splishin' and a-splashin',
Reelin with the feelin, movin' and a-groovin',
Rockin' and a-rollin', yeah!

This card was a hoot to make and it still gives me a little chuckle when I look at it. Burt looks so happy having a bath in his bird bath doesn't he?

This month Cardmaking, Stamping & Papercraft put out a call for cards using song lyrics instead of the sentiment and this is one of the cards I came up with. I did two others but they are a secret so you wont be seeing those for a bit yet!

It's a pretty straight forward card but using rub-on's instead of stamps for the words and poking a bit of raffia out from under the flowers.

Eee Aye Eee Aye Ohhh!

Firstly, THERE IS A NEW HIGH HOPES RELEASE TODAY!! I am so excited... I haven't received my stamps yet but man are they CAAAUTE! The little bugs are so adorable and Gordon Groundhog and Sweet Dreams are by far my personal faves!

Now on to my card.... it was made using the farmer from the last release. I made this one last week I think but I just haven't gotten around to posting him. There are three in this collection, the other one using Party Cow is here.

Whitby Whale is Famous...

I went to the newsagency last night with Matt. We usually go so he can look at computer magazines... occasionally I look in the craft section. This time I was so stunned to see my Whitby Whale card on the front cover!! I grabbed the mag and started jumping around calling across the room "My card's on the front, Matt" I think he tried to hide behind his mag when people started looking!

The issue is Vol 14 No 10 !

These are my posts of the cards...

Best Fishes
Relax... It's Your Day
Tons of Love

Have a GREAT Easter!!

The Mooosic!

Some days I feel like Party Cow but for some reason, today ain't one of those days! I'll admit I do feel a bit more awake now my card is finished though. It's hard not to brighten up with Party Cow dancin' it up! For a while there I was wondering if PC was a he or a she but the udders pretty much straightened out that question for me. PC is a BOY! Hahah... only kidding... my family had cows when we were younger... I know who udders belong to! I drew some grass on this image... do you have any idea how long it took me to get grass that I was happy with?? I don't know either (hehe that helps) but it was more than 15 minutes... I know that much!!