ArtNeko Poppy ATC stamp + WOYWW!

Hullo there everyone -and here we are again another Wednesday!! but to introduce my post thought would cheer all those up in northern hemisphere who are facing cooler temps ahead.

Here is what it looks like today in Oz! it 25c and we generally dont get really hot weather being near the coast! Isn't Gods creation amazing? and yes, I know how blessed I am..

Now to the business end of this post – as our hostesses Julia so eloquently explained on her post last week – Wednesday is the highlight of many of our weeks when we go on the biggest blog hop int the world ~ What is On Your Workdesk Wednesday!! 
Or the acronym of WOYWW! so here is my desk last night ~ after midnight, so was Wednesday :D So to join please visit Julia's blog here !

And am on the homeward run of the Artneko image I started a few weeks ago now, before the hiccough with stitches in right hand.They come out today - yay! and it's pretty good now.. thanks for all your kind thoughts and prayers.

 
You can see the brayered pieces of two weeks ago on desk right and back + other card making detritus!
The red die middle right was cut and rejected to go under the Artnkeo ATC poppy. Looked at punches and chose the layered arches corner  punch (Martha Stewart).
 It is my very favourite punch - dont have large number but put this one at top of list!

I used the Caran D'ache pencils for the poppy,  but used a Mister Huey's Leaf green spray to make wash for background. 
Then used piece of linen card embossed with folder (Quick Kutz, Diamonds and Dots ) sprayed two sprays, Mister Huey leaf green, Cosmic Shimmer gold, looks really lovely IRL. Then used some Chinese/ Japanese paper bought about 20 years ago in Sydney, in a large sheet. It is sooo lovely!

 

 Here is the finished card!

At the OSA (Oriental Art Association) blog Challenge 200 - use a painting as our inspiration..and I chose the poppy paintings of Claude Monet - see here (love his work and adore poppies - dont we B.?).

I really highly recommend these stamps from Artneko. I showed you them on this desk back here -you can see how lovely and clear they are! The bundle from Artneko ( a set of 9 ATC stamped images which can be bought individually, and Muted Bamboo too the top left).

Such amazing ones!

  To see their high quality  stamps, especially ones on 50% off sale at present  L@@K here! great post costs too!

I would like to enter this card in the following challenges also:

1. Party Time Tuesday - Anything goes!

2. Creative card crew - Anything goes!

2. Use it Up Tuesday - Ink it up - use up stash -stamps not used before - this was first time used this stamp and the paper has been neglected for about 20 yrs!

4. ABC Challenges - anything goes!

5. Artistic Inspiration Challenge 17 - Anything goes

Thanks so much everyone for popping over for peek and chat. Happy WOYWW!
May God bless your day wherever you may be,
Shaz in Oz.x 
PS. Don't forget the THANK YOU Wonderful Encourager's Anniversary candy on offer HERE till 30.11.12

Christmas is a-coming, Crafty individuals + Using Up Scraps!

A big apology to all WOYWWer's - I made mistake in linking over - this is this week's WOYWW post CLICK here -  or see above this one!

Well, hullo everyone!
As said every post for the last few weeks the moments, days, weeks are flying by! It reminds me of a Bible verse in Psalms when I stop and wonder at the speed of it all:
"Teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts to wisdom. Ps 90:12"

As I tip tap to write this there are less than 30 days to the day when we remember the birth of our LORD and Saviour Jesus Christ. So thought I would share a few of this year's unpublished Christmas cards I have made and link them up to various challenges!
Firstly to Sarn's Christmas card challenge - here at Stamping for Pleasure!

This card has Our Daily Bread Christmas greeting, and the wonderful Crafty Individuals Bird Postcard Unmounted stamp which  is masked to cover the postcard stamp on it, used also with these others here  -  here and here! 

All are scraps from various times over the year, so entering these in Di's  Snippets challenge as well. These all, to be honest, were sitting around waiting to be completed for an inordinate amount of time.

Coloured image of robin in chalks, and has a strip of red ribbon at the bottom and strip of red bling, the paper is a digi freebie by Glenda Waterworth, of Artylicious called Moroccan Velvet A4RED (must-look link here).

The baubles below were made with scrap from wrapping paper (shown above and more shown on this post - CLICK here ).

These cards are made with the Marianne Design Creatables Fir branch LR0181, the bauble is made with Nestabilities

The embossing folder is Allegro by Cuttlebug, large size.

These two cards have the folder from the Christmas Winter Wonderland set by Cuttlebug in pearlised card, greeting red embossed / bauble plus brads and bling!( for Frosty & Bright Panpastels)

ALLSORTS Challenge - Bring on the Bling!

This card has the candy Cane Cuttlebug folder, and Nellie Snellen Multi frame die - eastern Oval, brad, bling and glitter on edges of layers of ornament.

Challenges I would also like to enter these in:
Allsorts Challenge - Bring on the Bling!!  (and there is plenty, on most cards)
Pan pastels Challenge - Challenge 46 - Frosty and Bright - two cards have the snowflakes folder, Winter Wonderland, and snowflake brads, frostiest is the white one so entering it in this challenge.
ABC Christmas Challenge W is Wrapping - make card with some wrapping paper - all the baubles are!
Crafty Individuals Challenge - Festive Sparkle - Entering CI Robin card with the red bling strip + ribbon in this challenge.

Thanks for taking a peek and chat, and may God bless you wherever you may be,

Shaz in Oz.x

WOYWW, Brayer video + Extra Crunchy Ginger nuts!

Hullo there everyone!!
I actually started most of this post ages ago now and never published it, but show you a bit of my "unchanged-from-last-week "desk just to keep up with the theme. 
Those of you who were around later last week will know I have a wounded paw. After doing last week's post, I left for the skin specialist and came back with 5 stitches in right hand (skin cancer, an SCC)-  :D They come out next Wed. then have to have one done on my foot.
 BIG ANNOUNCEMENT!!  
Finally did a brayer video (taken before hand was done)
CLICK on this post here from yesterday!
Showed the brayer backgrounds on last week's post, this is a crop of the desk shot last week. Same as I have not been in there all week to work due to hand!

The observant monkey watchers among you commented last week that Deer Monkey, on the right, has his deer shirt on already. :D The WOYWW badge which he usually wears has been seconded by his monkey mate, Mechant, who is sitting beside him.

 Okay, so a while back now, the baking bug temporarily hit. I just had to make some of mum's scrummy Ginger Nuts, so I thought would share them .


If you like them really crunchy, the key to the crunch with biscuits is to leave them on the tray to cool and if possible for five mins in the open oven - if you cooking another batch obviously you cannot. 
Take care they don't get too brown though. I like to make good dunkers (in tea of course) and they are certainly that! If you like them really gingery then put in two teaspoons (or more) of ground ginger like I do.

I have rather poor quality video of our cheeky clowns of the garden (Rainbow Lorikeets - see also here) taking a bath in our bird bath, taken the same time as last weeks photos. I thought of it after took the still photos, so they were nearly finished!
Poor quality because it was taken on maximum zoom with my camera, through the lounge room window!
Rainbow Lorikeet “Lorikeets are considered a small to medium parrot and range in size from 150mm (6") to 400mm (16"). The colour of the bird depends upon the species and the variation with in that species, however bright colours are common and popular. Lorikeets are one of the few parrots that eat mainly nectar and pollen. In Australia, it is common along the eastern seaboard, from Queensland to South Australia and northwest Tasmania.”

Happy WOYWW everyone!

For those of you not in the know - WOYWW is a weekly blog hop - What is On Your Wordesk Wednesday? and here we do a reveal of what we are working on at present - or not! check desks all over the world, (click here) at our brilliant hostess', Julia's blog and see what you may learn and glean. 

Thanks so much every one for popping over for a peek and chat, and may the Lord bless your day wherever you may be!
Shaz in Oz.x  

 

Basic Brayer Tips ~ It is DO-ABLE!!

Hullo there everyone!

Well, as promised here is my brayer tips post - so many have commented on my brayer work and said how they struggle with it.

So I thought since the Sandy Hulsart video was no longer available I ought to have go. Her's was the best..this is my poor effort to try and help.

Truly brayering is not hard ...
You really need to not think it is hard.

Have you ever taught?? - that is what you have to get through when teaching!!!

You can do it - how I learned was with Stampin up spots, all three in row held by blu-tack, and gloss card!!

..and I watched videos  .. a good way to get the idea, I have a very basic video below.

... and then jump in... and dont stop too soon. 

I often think folk give up on brayer work because they stop too soon.

 Rather like taking a cake out of the oven when it is half baked. 

It does not look great either. :D

To make easier:
1. a good gloss card like Kromcote is it best really, or SU glossy card is okay too.

2. the right ink does help.
I like Adirondack but also good to start with is the Kaleidocolor, as they are all ready to blend together, they are already lined up.
 

However to be honest, I ignore a lot of the "must do's" and "must not's" do on the videos!!

eg.  they start six feet (okay not quite  that much) off the page in some videos and you use three times as much ink, quite unnecessary... and the bit about not rolling different ways - you will see that in the video, but you can get away with it IF you have a light hand!

 If you are not a strong armed person,  it helps. I am not.

I think some folk just go in "really strong, firm-grip style" and you must not be strong armed.. 

If you go in too much power you dont get the firm, light strokes you need. 

I may move quickly when I brayer but it is not  heavy hand. 

 

Just relax!! :D after all, that is what crafting is about!!

Here is my first video (so not great, as editing needed but too hard for me to figure that yet). 
Also it breaks up wee bit towards end at the bottom, I think it must have happened when uploading it as not on original at all.

It will hopefully show you how to help and for any who may have issues or lack confidence.

If it doesn't come up try this link here.

if you want to see the card shown on the video it is on this post, (click  here)

The brayered background for this card is done on this video above.

 

 I plan to show, God willing, in another video, maybe in new year how I do the card images after the brayer background. 

I did one after this but forgot to have camera checked as I was half off screen, der! here are the two backgrounds I did on it, they were on my desk for last weeks WOYWW. if in the meantime you want to see a great video on using images overlapping, etc. see this Stampscape's video here on stamping them.

 Also you can brayer an embossed image from an embossing folder, as I did in this card here. I love the effect.

 

For more details and steps on how I made this card see this post here. 

Thanks so much for popping over for a peek and chat, and may God bless your day wherever you may be!

Shaz in Oz.x 
PS. I want to welcome my latest Wonderful Encourager,Famfa, see her blog here! Famfa, thank  YOU so very much for encouraging me and making my day! :D 
For more brayer tips please just click on "Brayer" on the labels and will give more ideas there. .. or click here.

WOYWW! Wow, is the year flying or what?

Ah here we are everyone ~ another Wednesday!

Suddenly realised yesterday it was six weeks to Christmas!

Happy WOYWW everyone!! (WOYWW = What is On your Workdesk, Wednesday?) Do join us learning as we lean over desks and work spaces around the world! Pop over to Julia's hosting blog - Stamping Ground!! 

Now to matter in question the desk!
It looks much busier than reality as have been away for two weeks from WOYWW. Until the last two days this room has been totally neglected. However some things are afoot (YAY)!

Top right: Quite a few weeks ago you saw the start the Gumblossom Card   (see this post here). Images were sent to me by Ros.A. of WOYWW! it's peeking out at top right of photo, (along with one of my coloured poppy ATC from Artneko, yet to be finished properly).

Well, Ros and all, have posted the Finished card few days back now - see here for the details. 

On that post (one below) you will see the photos of visit to Annecy in France. It was a thank you card for the friends of my family we saw there, as Annecy is the City of flowers - hence a flower card.

Some amazing shots!
It is sooo beautiful, and I feel so very blessed of God to have actually been there. You see these places when you watch Le Tour de France and so such things.. and yet never dream you will end up going there..

Top left on desk shows some Stampscapes I had been playing with - one was new stamp from March purchase, not used. Was practising the overlapping techniques Kevin shows on his videos (see here).
Lower left shows a card finally finished posted below (was on desk two weeks ago).
 Centre shows brayer resist, with two "Stampin' up" stamps, still wet that is why it so vibrant.
It is done with the same stamp pad which I used for hummingbird card. I  called the pad Calypso but want to correct it - it is Kaleidocolor  - "Riveria"! so apologies, I think someone said they were going to hunt it up.

This card is an image from Elusive images, inked up on watercolour paper and coloured with Promarkers, and tiny bit of iridescent medium you dont see this. Cutting embossing folder is Cuttlebug Plus, a2 "Carly" bought on eBay, they are too dear anywhere else.
Inked it whit chalk pad while still in folder to make raised bits pop.
As this is snippets (done in two separate bits last year), and dark pink is also from my snippets drawers, I would like to enter in Di's Snippets challenge - please Miss, please!

Below is the very favourite scene of mine where I live - and looking toward the little island not far from where I live. Such lovely weather at the mo. Don't you love the sea grass on the sandhills? God beautiful creation..

One very sodden Rainbow Lorikeet, after a bath in our bird bath! They are so funny they go in and out, and in and out then nearly cannot fly away they are so sodden!

Please dont forget to enter in my thank you to all my encouragers second anniversary candy (CLICK HERE)!

Thanks so much every one for popping over for a peek and chat, and may the Lord bless your day wherever you may be!
Shaz in Oz.x 
PS A big welcome to this blog's lovely new encouragers ~ Arty Andrea, and Ali of Teddy Bob crafts, 
 Shelly of My Creative Rumblings and also Ginny of Maxam Made :D 

PPS. I maybe a bit slow coming around to comment!
After doing this post, I left for the skin specialist and came back with 5 stitches in right hand (skin cancer, an SCC)- so will reply as able :D 

Gumblossoms ~ Annecy ~ Ville des Fleurs ~ City of Flowers

~WARNING PICTURE HEAVY POST!~

Hullo there everyone..

A wet and cool day here in Oz but we really need the rain so no grumbles coming from downunder :D

Some time ago now I showed the beginning of my gumblossom card in a WOYWW post -  here.. and I show how beautiful our gumblossoms really are!!!

And here is the final piece finished...

(The true colour of ribbon on far left of image, also paper is beige/cream, not white background. Sorry, best photo I could take.)

 It is an image which was stamped for me by  Ros.A of WOYWW here in Oz, so I dont own the stamp.

Coloured it with my Caran D'ache pencils. The papers are from a discontinued set by Stampin' up about four years ago, ribbon to match. Used the Fleur De Lis square Spellbinders in black card, and Oval Petite dies by Spellbinder also. Cut medium die and then separated into four and attached as shown. This card is for Johan and Estelle, who are my family's friends from Annecy in Haute Savoie region in France.

As Annecy  is called "Ville des Fleurs" or "City of Flowers" I thought it was a appropriate to make a flower card for this Thank you card from them ~ with an Aussie flower on it, hence the Gumblossoms! 
Here are a few photos of our time there! amazing spring time shots - it was in early May.

Should we let two kids play in a lolly shop?? YUM!!

Lac d"Annecy - how very beautiful!

Mt Semnoz, just out of Annecy, is on the route for "Le Tour de France", next year and my brother hopes to be going over as tour guide again! so riding the course, all being well!

Okay, this is the best chocolate dessert I have ever ever tasted.. awesome! thanks Johan! {drool}

Johan and Estelle's house looked over the alps and Mount Blanc.. dont ask me which one it is, as I have forgotten! but it was so lovely, I really enjoyed myself immensely!! Yes, we travelled up into the alps the next day! and in perfectly clear, God-blessed weather!!

Next morning we visited the markets for some more retail therapy! "Fraise" or strawberries which were just like home, as ours are really amazing at the mo!

Aren't these amazing?
We call them Beefsteak tomatoes here (my uncle and neighbour have grown them). They called them "Coeur de boef" or "Heart of beef". We took one of these on our trip with us as well as the "Fraise", and the "Saucissons de savoie"~ may get to show you that lunch in our Swiss photos!

Such and awesome time - wont say how many photos I took (cos dont know!), but show just a few!!

I would like to enter this card in the following challenges:

1.Penny Black ~ Any Die will do ~ focal element of your card must be a stamped image or sentiment. Used the Fleur De Lis square Spellbinders in black card, and Oval Petite dies by Spellbinder also.

2. Pretty Little Ribbon Shop Die cuts, Punches and Ribbons

3. Chocolate Coffee and carats - Stripes! 

4. Jellypark Challenge - Back to Nature. 

5. Forever friends Challenge Blog - Anything Goes! 
6. Papercrafting Journey ~ Anything Goes!

Thanks so much for popping over for a peek and chat, and may God bless your day wherever you may be!

Shaz in Oz.x

THANK YOU Wonderful Encourager's Candy

Sticky post - for new posts, please scroll down.
 
Hullo there every one ~ if you are looking for the details for the blog candy? then please 'CLICK' on this link fo ALL details, please comment there.

Do not comment here, please. It is a BIG THANK YOU to my wonderful encouragers - for full details click above link please, for dates, etc.

Thanks heaps and may God bless your day wherever you may be!

Shaz in Oz.x
PS DRAW will be deferred to 3.12.12, as have very busy two days first two days of December, sorry!!