Thursday, November 24, 2011

Countdown to the Countdown

Today it is only a week until the 1st of December and all I can say is where has the year gone? It feels like it should still mid-May or June at the latest and certainly not almost on the back-straight towards the finish-line of the year. (I'm a car girl hence the motor-racing metaphor.)
I still have two more birthday's I haven't thought about before Christmas and one the day after not to mention all the family turning up on Christmas Day for dinner at Rosehill Manor (aka our house).
I have at least purchased a few Christmas Presents, (no birthday ones!) and more to the point I have made quite a start on the crafts for my Christmas Craft Challenge. I have been so tempted to give a few hints and glimpses of what is to come, but I don't want to ruin the surprise so sorry, but you will just have to wait. Good thing it is only for another week!! 
Be sure to come back and visit from the 1st December through to 24th December to see this year's instalments of my Christmas Craft Challenge. And fingers and toes crossed, hopefully even a "How it all turned out on the day" post on the 25th... if I haven't fallen asleep after all that yummy food I know I will be eating Christmas Day.

Tuesday, November 15, 2011

TradeMe Bargain

For some time now I have been looking for furniture for my craft studio aka the Dungeon (yes it comes complete with spider webs). I don't care if the furniture looks pretty or not, or whether or not it all matches just as long as its functional.  
As money is pretty tight (damn this recession, hurry up and be over) I really haven't been looking at that seriously for furniture though I have managed to pick up some bargains over the past couple of months.
First there were the lovely soft padded chairs and my wheelie chair that I picked up from the place I am working at the moment. Nothing is worse than sitting for hours intent on creating and scrapbooking only to try to move and your butt has gone to sleep cos the seat is too hard.
I got the chairs for $10.00 each... a real bargain as far as I was concerned but the bargain I picked up today beats them hands down. My apologies if I sound like I'm gloating but I'm just so stoked with my purchase.
I was on TradeMe when I spotted a listing for a magazine rack thingey. No one had bid on it and it was listed at $1.00, no reserve so I put on my watch list. I thought it was smaller than what I wanted, but that it would still do the trick - what I wanted was somewhere to store and display packs of paper and the like (cork sheets, double sided adhesive sheets etc). 
So the auction ran its course but no one bid, so it was offered to me at $1.00. I accepted only to be offered a second matching magazine thingey also for a $1.00 so I said yes to that one as well.
This afternoon I picked up the 2 magazine racks and the tri-fold screen I also won. Let's just say they were much bigger than I expected and only just fit in the back of the van with the seats folded up... thank goodness for people movers.
Anyway here they are... not in their final position, I need to rearrange the studio again, but they are at least at their new home.
 Yep... so considerably bigger than expected...
 Loving the drawers at the bottom for extra storage.
And my very cool screen which I have some interesting thoughts on what to do with this. Watch this space!!

Saturday, November 12, 2011

2011 Circle Journal

This week I received my Circle Journal back from the girls with the Crafting Passionz Forum. There were seven of us in it with it being the first time for a number of the participants.
I have to confess to re-using a previous Circle Journal album but that is because this theme has always been a passion of mine. I've always loved hearing about how couples met each other and have thought about writing a book on several occasions, so how could I resist a Circle Journal album where my scrapping friends tell me all about their significant other.
Here are the most recent additions to my "Love Starts" story.
This is the album cover and felt bag that the album fits into. The felt bag (with chocolates & teddy) was a valentine's gift from my darling hubbie and was so cute that I held onto it for a few year's before it gained a second life.
Close up of the album cover. I painted it as I didn't like the original cover, then added the Making Memories "Love" adorned with ribbons and rub-ons.
The ever important Circle Journal Instructions (in cute heart font).

These were my two creations as I have been married twice so have two stories to share as to how I met the men of my dreams. 
 Kim's Contribution 
 Veronica's Contribution
 Shar's Contribution
 Faith's Contribution
Suzanne's Contribution
Lynley's Contribution

I can't thank these ladies, as well as all my other friends, enough for sharing their respective "Love Starts"... the story of how they met their significant other.

Thursday, November 10, 2011

Orere Point Camping Ground

Quick post time... I finished this layout over the weekend. I've had the photos, cardstock and patterned paper sorted and in a bag for about 18 months... give or take and just haven't been inspired enough to to something with them.
At last I found some inspiration and this is the result...
This was photographed, using my Panasonic Luminex Camera which I've had a few years. Other than cropping to size, no other modifications were made.
This version was scanned as I now have access to an A3 scanner. Again just cropped to size but no other modifications.

The colour difference is interesting - the scanned version definitely looks closer to the original. I also noted some shadowing from the camera version, but they is more a result of my poor lighting set up. My one real disappointment was that the scan cut off some of the page so it ended up more 11.5" x 11.5" but as this was my first attempt, maybe I did something wrong.

The chipboard foliage from The Dusty Attic was painted with the Lettuce paint dauber, then highlighted with the Olive Vine Radiant Rain & Sea Kelp Glimmer Glaze. I then spritzed them lightly with Key Lime Pie & Fern mists. The colouring is subtle but I love the finished effect.

The patterned paper was distressed using Edge Distress Tool, then spritzed with a fine mist of water to wet it before the edges were rolled to give the dimensional edge on the paper. 

Materials:
DCWV Cardstock, Patterned Paper (unknown supplier), Chipboard - The Dusty Attic "Foliage", Tim Holtz Distress Ink "Crushed Olive" & "Faded Jeans", Radiant Rain "Olive Vine", Adirondack Paint Dauber "Lettuce", Tattered Angels Glimmer Glaze "Sea Kelp", Tattered Angels Glimmer Mist "Key Lime Pie", Tattered Angels Chalkboard "Fern", VersaColor ink, acrylic stamp, adhesives, glue dots, double sided foam squares, water, distress tool, journaling pen and alphabet stickers.

I have the chipboard in stock at my shop along with many other designs. I have a selection of Radiant Rain Paint Daubers, Adirondack Paint Daubers, Tattered Angels Glimmer Glazes and Mists available as well though am happy to order in colours as required by customers.