I've been tagged - twice!

Oops, I forgot that I had been tagged when I posted earlier, so second post for the day.

This is what you do:

1. Link to the person that tagged you and leave a comment on their blog, so that their readers can visit yours.

2. Post the rules on your blog.

3. Share 7 Random facts about yourself on your blog.

4. Tag 7 random people at the bottom of your post, linking to their blog. Let each person know by leaving a comment on their blog.

Now, here are 7 random facts about me:

1. I am phobic about cockroaches (a cockaphobe / roachaphobe??), I have baits EVERYWHERE in my house

2. I loathe exercise, although my personal trainer is slowly making me loathe it less.

3. I have a tendency to drink too much in a sitting - not as far as bingeing, just a bit too much.

4. I have been trying to learn french, and despite the spectacular failure this term am getting back on that horse for next term.

5. I really like clubbing / electronic dance music, but hate going to clubs (I am a pub girl), so I compromise and listen to it when I am cleaning (does that make me an old woman?)

6. I am really sad that I never had the opportunity to have children of my own

7. My secret desire is to publish a book (no idea of topic, or whether it would be an art book or a novel). My dad is writing his novel, and has been for a number of years, I really admire him for that.

I am not going to tag others, because most of the 'blogger world" people that I know have already been stung.

A fortnight of catch up

A bit of catchup required as I was down with the flu last weekend, unfortunately

Weekly Name and Shame: +500g

Oops.... the 3 weeks of hell at work leading up to end of financial year + being sick have played havoc with my weightloss ambitions. WORK-LIFE BALANCE is the key bloggers & bloggettes. Let's hope that it can come off quickly again, particularly now that I am back at the chiro, and he is repairing the damage done to my back from constant sitting and slaving over a hot computer.... I hope so because even the dog is looking a little fat!

On to more fun things, I have this morning finally finished a 1-on-1 swap for artyoz, Bag of Inspiration. (I know, I know, but the end of daylight saving meant that I didn't sleep in). The premise for the swap is that we send a bag of junk to a nominated person, and they return a piece of art using some of said junk.

I had to do a piece for Teresa Abajo (http://www.thetamarisk.blogspot.com/ - check out her blog, great work!) , and I must say that I am very happy with the final result. It is going in the mail today. Here it is:


cool huh! I wanted to make a piece that was free-standing (dust collector for her new house?). I think that she will like it, at least I hope she does. It is very DeMeng inspired, particularly the white spermy shapes and dots, but it did need a lift around the bottom to give it visual balance - the top is quite "busy". It has got that great 1900 mechanics feel, like some sort of bizarre overdecorated machine.

I am looking forward to getting my converted bag of inspiration back from Julian, she has posted pics of the finished piece on her blog - http://buttonstcat.blogspot.com/ (the obsessive hoarder), and it looks great!!!

My parents are coming to visit with me next week, so I won't have much time for play. The following weekend is stamp camp - YAY, It is the beginning of Camp season!!! I LOVE camps, I get so much done and they are so much fun! I feel (on the inside of course) like a 13 year old going on my first school camp again. I always pack too much stuff, and although every time I say that I am going to minimise the amount of stuff I take by focusing on a couple of projects I am ambitious in how much I can achieve, and end up taking half my studio.

Before camp I will need to stir up my creative juices to make inroads on my nature collab book as my "camp project". I have posted previously regarding my frustrations on this book, so I will be looking for an inspirational breakthrough over the next 2 weeks. I must say though that the breakthrough is looking a long way away - I am finding the requirements too proscriptive. There is also an NZeder in the group, so there are HUGE restrictions on what we can do because so much "natural" stuff won't get through their customs. All I can say is WHY join a NATURE swap from an Aussie group when you KNOW that everyone else will have to "dumb down" their pages so that you can get a book???? AAARGH!!!

Whew - that was cathartic.

Till next time!

Stamp Camp class sample

Hi all,

Well, I have found a bit of time to create - over my exhaustion (I think!), and have made a class sample. Monika has asked me to do a class on the Saturday of stamp camp (18th to 20th April), so I thought that I would do a transparency book with metal tape and "stuff". Really, it is just a chance for me to do things that I am really enjoying at the moment - a mix of demeng transparency techniques, alcohol inks, foil tape & (good old-fashioned) stamping.

Here is the front of the sample:

the first inside shot


and the second inside shot (with a great view of the blue striped cushion on my back couch).


It is all 2.5" x 3.5", so it will also add to the technique repertoire of class members for their own atc's.

Should be a fun class - and will only take about 3 hours to do, which will give everyone lots of time to play on their own projects as well. I hope that Monika likes it!

I'm off to do some mother's day cards now for VicStampers ... hope you are all enjoying the last day of your long weekend!

Happy Easter

Well, here is my belated name and shame for last week....

Weekly Name and Shame: +500g

Oops! Oh well, hopefully it will improve on Tuesday at my next weigh in.

Work has been insane - I have been doing very long hours getting 3 reports out, the last of which was sent Thursday. I subsequently spent most of Friday and yesterday sleeping / resting. What an old woman I am becoming!

I had a great trip to Sydney last weekend - for my friend Rick's 50th birthday at the Oaks hotel in Neutral bay. I got to spend time with some of my best friends, and my goddaughter... I (of course) forgot to take my camera, so when I get some pics back from Carolyn I will share.

I managed to get to a late-night stamping fest at Beachhouse Boulevard on Thursday night, got off the (delayed) plane from Brisbane and after feeding the kids rocked down to the shop at about 10.30pm. Stayed until about 3am, but couldn't hack it any longer... again with the old-age woossieness...

But I managed to finish off some ATC's that I started a little while ago. Here is one of them (wings that aren't wings):

It is hard to tell, but the background is embossed foil tape with alcohol inks... yum, my favourites!

Today is an arty day... what a great way to spend Easter Sunday - doing what I want and not being answerable to anyone... sometimes it is nice to be single with no kids or responsibilities to anyone but myself! So I am going to finish off my "Picture This" ATC's for ArtyOz group - this one has been extremely challenging for me, I hope that they are OK... and to do a class sample for stamp camp in April - I am teaching on the Saturday, so need a decent project to do. I am thinking transparencies and depth.... will play and see what I can come up with!

Happy Easter everyone!

Weekly Name and Shame

Drumroll please...

Weekly Name and Shame: -600g

this exercise feels a bit like the tortoise and the hare - it is a case of INCHING the weight downwards. I suppose that if I could spend 4 hours a day doing training whilst locked in a glamorous mansion I could lose more, but I have bills to pay.

Maybe if I win lotto I can treat myself to a fortnight away at a health spa.....

Damn. I will now sit here in the office for the rest of the day fantasising about what that would be like!

Didn't get to do any more artwork on the weekend - in fact I worked. (grumble, grumble) I won't get anything done this weekend either as I am off to Sydney for a friends 50th birthday (must make a card this week before I go). I am *hoping* that I get a couple of days' break at Easter so that I can get some things done - like produce a sample for a class at Stamp Camp in April!.

speak to you all soon!

Tags and more

Hi all,

Well I was a lucky girl during the week and received a stack of stuff in the mail - and all of it beautiful! I was particularly excited to receive a tag swap back from the very talented Julian Buttenshaw, and thought that I would share. The photos do not do it complete justice, particularly as Julian has used the great demengiefever treatment for transparencies, which give the piece a huge amount of depth and interest.


And there was an even nicer surprise waiting on the back. Reds + texture! This piece was absolutely custom made for me!


Thankyou, thankyou Julian.

I am struggling with a collaborative bookpage at the moment - it seemed like a good idea to sign up for this in November, but I am struggling. The collab book theme is surrounding wonders (ie nature) and the book has to be done in blues and greens. I was in a good blue-green phase when I signed up, but now it is long gone! I will have to continue with doodles / fiddles until something comes up (which usually means that I end up with a LOT of ATC backgrounds). I may have to have a play with some texture paste to get the juices flowing a bit.

On other matters my car window was smashed on Friday night in a parking station in the CBD - some little b^#@#^*& had decided that a late night rampage would be a good idea and broke into my car looking for Penelope (my navman). Fortunately, Penelope was at home but as it is a long weekend O'Brians glass can't fix it until next week. The upshot is that I am without a car until Wednesday because there is only gladwrap covering the passenger side "window". The real irony if this was that I was being responsible leaving my car on Friday night because I thought that I had had 1 too many drinks to drive, and would be better off collecting my car the next morning. So, being responsible drops me an insurance level rating, which means that my insurance will cost more, I have to pay the excess, I paid extra to leave my car overnight in the CBD, and had taxi fares. All in all a VERY expensive evening.

From the keyboard of the disgruntled (and poor) Liz

Weekly Name and Shame & stuff

Well, lets get it over with...

Weekly Name and Shame: -100g

sorry about the delayed post - work has been ridiculous, and I had to wait an extra 2 days for my weigh in. Had a bad week this week - work stress. Ho hum.

On other (more interesting) matters I have been relatively quiet on the art front due to work, but have managed to finish a couple of things.

The first is Kit Swap VIII for Arty Oz (apologies for the quality of the scan - nothing seems to be working well for me today). In a kit swap we can't use anything other than what is provided.


The next is an altered book in a tin for paperarts (I am currently doing July swaps). This is the tin:



Inside 1:


and inside completely open.


Hopefully I will get the long weekend this weekend and not have to work, so I can knock off a couple of other things! Will keep you all posted...