For all the Lego fans!

 I think we are a bit like many other households with young boys, lotsa Lego love here! I am continuously tripping over the stuff too, and getting little ouchy bits stuck on the bottom of my feet has me thinking about Lego lots, which has resulted in the following card...

The Lego pieces are far more convoluted these days. They are not designed simply to build a house or car, but rather are transformable into Pre Visla's Mandalorian Fighter or a Sith Fury-class Interceptor. You know, important stuff like that! But I am sure that any true Lego fanatic will recognise the rudimentary bits on my card regardless, and know it for what it is. This particular card is for my brother, one of the main suppliers of Lego in this house...so I thought it only fair that I return some of the Lego love ;-). Hope he likes it!

Project Recipe:

Cardstock: Real Red, Brilliant Blue and Yoyo Yellow plain and textured cardstock (SU - some retired),
Ink: Basic Black, Real Red, Brilliant Blue and Yoyo Yellow Classic Ink (SU - some retired),
Stamps: Birthday Wish (SU - Retired),
Punches: Owl Builder (SU),
Accessories: Chevron Embossing Folder (SU), Paper Piercer, Dimensionals (SU) and SNAIL Adhesive (SU).

It is fitting that I have used the owl builder punch (to make the Lego circles) as I have a little owl-themed pic to pop in here. Some of the amazing local residents, trying to go incognito...

Tawny Frogmouth Owls

Blogged to: The Paradise - Episode 8 - ABC 1.

Punch Art Santa Candy Cane Tag

I have had a little photo from Patty Bennett's blog on my desktop for ages. It was one where she made a cute punch art Santa and used him as a topper for a licorice stick....see her post here. I thought her little Santa was just irresistibly cute, so I had to CASE him for myself. I have made a few small changes here and there, and am very pleased with how he turned out...

The hardest part was not snacking on the candy cane while I was working on Santa. The next hardest part is all the fiddly punch art sticking-down. My favourite product right now, for fiddly punch art projects, is my box of Micro Glue Dots. They measure approx. 3 mm in diameter and are great for hiding behind even the smallest punch art eyes, nose and mouth! I got my box of 325 micro glue dots from Scraptherapy, and will have to stock up on some more soon!

I have used a rectangular strip of cardboard, with two 1/2 inch circles punch in it (one at either end of the rectangle) to make a sliding holder to adhere my Santa to the candy cane. The candy cane just threads through the two holes and the Santa is adhered to the centre part of the rectangle holder. I don't have a photo, otherwise I'd show you what I mean, and I can't be bothered going back outside to take one because it is a little warm here today. We cracked 41 degrees C at 2pm! I can't say 41+ was that hard to take as I was taking a lovely little siesta at the time (under a ceiling fan and with the evap cooling going too it was lovely)....but there's no way I'm running about outside like a hooligan in it!

Enough from me. I hope that you have enjoyed your weekend!

Project Recipe:

Cardstock: Shimmery White (beard and moustache), Silver Glimmer Paper (hat trim and pom pom), Blush Blossom (face and nose), Riding Hood Red (nose), Sky Blue (eyes and Christmas greeting tag), Basic Black (pupils) and DSP (hat) (all by Stampin' Up!);
Ink: Tuxedo Black Memento (Tsukineko);
Stamps: Santa's Star (Annabelle Stamps);
Punches: Ornament (beard), Blossom Petals Builder (moustache), Blossom Trio - retired (mouth and pom pom), Owl Builder (eyes, pupils and nose), Scallop Oval (hat trim), Extra-Large Oval (hat), Medium Oval - retired (face), 1/2 inch Circle (holder to affix Santa to cany cane) and 1 1/4 inch Square (to create the banner end on the greeting tag).
Accessories: D'Vine Swirl Embossing Folder (Provocraft), Micro Glue Dots (Glue Dots) and Dimensionals (SU).

Blogged to: Money for Nothing - Dire Straits, She Drives Me Crazy - Fine Young Cannibals, St. Elmos Fire - John Parr and Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now - Starship.

Bits 'n Pieces...

Not feeling all that much craftin' love right now...but I've pulled out all stops to come up with a little something quirky to pop up here, just so you know I haven't abandoned my blog.

I have been thinking about lady beetles a lot lately. This is mainly because we seem to get quite a few of them up here, and I do like their polka-dotty cuteness.  So Dotty the lady beetle it is...

I have included the second shot, because I think you can see the pearlex that I have used for Dotty's cheeks and dot highlights. I just applied it dry with a sponge dauber....so it'll wipe off pretty easy (and messy), but I do like how it shines.

Now for a few other random pics...

Beautiful Standley Chasm

The wall behind me is COVERED in flannel flowers....just beautiful!

...and last but not least, Miss 8 - ready for her very first time trick or treating. Halloween is big up here!

Watch out Forks...there is a scary new vampire in town, and she's messy!

Devilled Egg Anyone...?

Perhaps a Halloween Mr Potato Head? Hubby reckons I need to send this one to a psychologist for evaluation. How rude is he?!

I decided I'd play along with this week's Just Add Ink sketch challenge #137:

...and this is my card (I've turned the sketch on its side):

Given Thumper has been doing double-time, dragging a Mr Potato head around the house this week (and I've been finding its body parts everywhere...including the shower stall), along with the fact that Halloween is soon and the kids plan on going trick or treating for the first time ever...well, it's no surprise to me that this is the card I ended up with today. I think I can save myself the $$...no psych needed. It is a weird card, no question about it, but weird people make weird cards. I don't need a psych degree for that diagnosis either.

Project Recipe:

Cardstock: Basic Black, Whisper White and Riding Hood Red (SU);
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black (Tsukineko);
Stamps: Occasional Greetings (SU);
Punches: Small Oval for pupils, eyebrows and nose (SU) and Small Egg for hair (EK Success);
Accessories: Neutrals Patterns Stack DSP (SU), White Gel Pen (misc), Paper Piercer (misc), Nestabilities Oval Dies for eyes (Spellbinders), Nestabilities Egg Dies for body and tongue (Spellbinders), Umbrella Die for horns and tail (My Favourite Things), MyStik (Scrapbook Adhesives) and Dimensionals (SU).

Thanks for visiting!

Blogged to: Bad Moon Rising - Creedence Clearwater Revival, Thriller - Michael Jackson, Psycho Killer - Talking Heads, Monster Mash - Bobby "Boris" Pickett and Time Warp - Little Nell, Patricia Quinn & Richard O'Brien.

Sturt's Desert Pea - My New Favourite Flower

I have a new favourite flower. It is amazingly vibrant in colour and has a very groovy shape to boot. Just stunning! It is the Sturt's Desert Pea, or Swainsona formosa, and it is also the floral emblem of South Australia.

This is the card that these beauties have inspired me to make...

No sentiment. Some people won't like that, but I didn't want anything to detract from the the flowers. It's all about the flowers!

Project Recipe:

Cardstock: Basic Black (textured), Whisper White, Pumpkin Pie (textured), Poppy Parade and Sage Shadow (all SU).
Punches: Medium Oval (SU) and Small Egg (misc).
Accessories: Leaf Die (misc), Waves/Bubbles Impression Plate (Taylored Expressions) and Dimensionals (SU).

...and a few more pea pics, just so that you can see they are not all the same...plus, you know I love a pic or ten!!

I've even bought some seeds. Wish I could fast-track them :-)...but we'll have to wait and see how they go.

Tootles...

Blogged to: Dr Who - The Impossible Astronaut (1).

A little dragonfly to try again...

I found some pictures of a card that I made just prior to our big move. I hadn't posted them before because the pics were pretty dodgy (and still are ;-). They were taken indoors on a rainy day and no amount of photoshopping has helped. Plus, made in a hurry, my card left a lot to be desired. I love the little dragonfly, and would really like to revisit this design once I get my hands back on my craftin' goodies. Having it here will remind and encourage me to do just that...well, that's the theory at any rate.

The dragonfly punch art is not my design. I first saw it here, but you can see it on Cristena's blog here. Cristena mentions that she got the instructions from Kim Score. Thank you for the fabulous idea ladies, I love him!

I was going to type up a recipe, but I can't remember any of what I used, and don't have an SU catty on hand to improvise. DOH!

The rub on is one of my old Kairsercraft ones, and I think you can see that I have had to scrub at the rub on until the textured cardstock has pretty much lost its texture! I recently saw some Kaisercraft rub ons that said they were a new design or some such thing. I can't wait to give them a try and see if they come off the sheet a bit easier. I like their designs....so I'd be very happy if they really did work better!

We are off to the house to think about where the furniture will be going, it is being delivered tomorrow....HOORAY! Have a lovely day...

Blogged to: Horror Movie - Skyhooks, She Drives Me Crazy - Fine Young Cannibals, No Lies - Noiseworks and You Keep Me Hanging On - Kim Wilde.

And the piano, it sounds like a carnival...

...and the microphone smells like a beer...(well, maybe a white wine ;-).

I needed a card for our lovely piano teacher too... I left it to the last minute (like a well-prepared mum would) then I forgot to photograph it, until I was literally on my way out the door. Please forgive the poorly lit shots below...

I don't think there is much more needs saying about this. Note the use of gold-striped Washi tape to secure the pressie (which was a box of pretty washi tapes itself). I use Washi for all manner of things and love it to bits! My favourite supplier is Karen from Washimatta on Etsy.


Project Recipe:

Cardstock: Basic Black, Glossy White and Brushed Gold
Punches: Word Window and Corner Rounder
Accessories: Music Embossing Folder (PTI) and Gold Cord (SU - Retired).

Blogged to: MasterChef Australia 2012.

Another Sailor Boy Collage...

This is another project that I finished off recently. It is a gift for a friend at work who has just become a first-time dad. This collage is much smaller than my first Sailor Boy collage. The Corban and Blair box-frame for this one measures 25.5 cm x 20.5 cm (with a mat that takes a 5' x 7' image). My first Sailor Boy Collage was in a mat that took an 8' x 10' image.

I decided not to ink the edges of any of the pieces for this one, relying instead on just the textures and shapes to make an impact. I have been using Sticky Strip and X-Press It High Tack double-sided tapes for these projects, in the hope that these collages will stay together for a while. Fingers crossed!

 Well, the sun is out and it 'looks' beautiful outside, but it is a cool 15 degrees out there (or a bit less probably)...so looks can be deceiving.

My little man is having a well-earned snooze so I have taken the opportunity to brew myself a cup of Rooibos-Vanilla tea. This is a little treat that I picked up from adoretea in Woden earlier this week. Rooibos is YUMMY! I also tried the Rooibos-Raspberry and Vanilla.....double YUMMMMMmmmmmmY, and I have Rooibos-Caramel sitting here ready to be explored next.

You can try these teas in little sachets that do two cups, and only cost 95 cents. This is good, because they have so many delicious sounding flavours of tea at adoretea that you'll be wanting to try them all! I also picked up a funky little silicon and stainless steel infuser while I was there...so it is all-systems-go tea central here. Far out...I sound like an infomercial. Sorry. No one is paying me to tout adoretea. I just like 'em lots!

ETA: HMMMmmmm, upon closer inspection, it appears that adoretea is a local, Canberra-based company. COOL!!.....literally ;-)

Blogged to: Just Can't Get Enough - Depeche Mode, Word Up - Cameo, Use Somebody - Kings of Leon and All She Wants to Do is Dance - Don Henley.

Barrier Reef Collage MKII...

I mentioned when I first posted my Barrier Reef collage (here) that it was something of a work in progress. Well, I've had another go and I am much happier with this second offering. There was, amongst other niggly issues, too much blank space in the first edition. It annoyed me!

This time I have also used a beautiful Corban and Blair shadowbox frame. It is quite deep (which I tried to capture in the next shot) and it makes a big difference.

Lunch time now, and I think the littlest Postie is about to wake.

Have a good one (it is a glorious sunshiny day in Canberry today :-).

Blogged to: Voodoo Child - Rogue Traders,  Chained to the Wheel - The Black Sorrows and Down Under - Men at Work.

Hey, Little Lady...

Just a rooley, trooley quick one today...

I have been dreaming of making an easel card ever since I set eyes on Bronwyn's simply gorgeous creations.

This is what I came up with over hot cross buns this weekend...

No time to explain...hubby is now marching about and pointedly looking at the time. I need to go!

Have a great day.

Blogged to: Where the Streets Have No Name - U2, Halo/Walking on Sunshine - Glee Cast, Addicted to Bass - Puretone and Vienna - Ultravox.