My god it's a midweek update!

Whatever willl happen next? stars falling from the sky... who knows!

I received a couple more photos of the etching class from Jo Hughes and thought that I would share.

Unfortunately I don't have a "good side" at the moment unless it involves a knee-length paper bag (oh well)....

My ArtyOz Christmas Present

This is very remiss of me, I have been meaning to blog this since Christmas, but just didn't get around.

In the ArtyOz 1 on 1 christmas swap, the fabulous Teresa did my gift. She knows how much I love red... so she made me a red book! It is sooo cool.....



I was very lucky. Now the world can be envious of ME!

Thanks again Teresa, I love it (it has pride of place on my TV cabinet)

blog you later

Liz

Big post today #3: playing with chemicals in a heat wave

Melbourne sweltered through its hottest day on record yesterday - 46.4C (or 116F in the old language). The temperature, recorded at 3.05pm, smashed the previous benchmark of 45.6C recorded on Black Friday, January 13, 1939. It was the highest temperature in the city since the weather bureau began keeping records in 1855.

"Birds are dropping out of the sky" Barry Tapp, of Animal Cruelty Victoria, said.

At least 26 people are dead in the bushfires ripping through Victoria, but the death toll could pass 40. Whole towns have been destroyed and thousands of people left homeless with record temperatures and fierce winds sparking devastating infernos.

Crikey!! This is horrific. To all my country friends, please let me know that you are OK... call, text whatever.

While all this firestorm devastation was going on we were playing with chemicals! (call us brave, call us stupid...)

The ever-amazing Jen Crossley drove down from Ballarat (in this heat wave!!) to do a class on etching with 7 of us. Gail very kindly hosted and turned her aircon up to full blast.

Messy bunch aren't we!

BUT the mess was worth it! This is what I made:

and my inspiration:

WOW Jen is one talented lady.... However Jen proved that she is fallible with a little foaming chemical accident (oops) and a large struggle to make Gail's dremel work....

They failed to get it going .... but check out the cleavage!!! :-)

On a final note I give you the irony for this Sunday the 8th of February, it is currently raining (but not enough to put out a fire) and 21C in Melbourne, as this photo will attest....

hmmm... variety is the spice of life?

I have a few things going on this week, but I have a couple more updates for you so stay tuned!

cheers

Liz

Big post today #2

Welcome to part 2 of my (catch up) blog post for today...

The first 2009 VicStampers meeting was held at Beachhouse Boulevard last Sunday. The meetings are being held in shops alternating between the east and west side of the city this year which seems to have invigorated the membership a bit based on the numbers last weekend. We all had a great time catching up for the new year, and had some new faces at this meet which was really nice:

Monika did some great demos on watercolours, masks and (my favourite) the tattered angels glimmer mists:

(please note the vigorous bottle shaking going on here - papercrafts exercise 101)

The mask she is using here is the new Heidi Swapp 12" x 12" mask... can't wait for these to come in!

I have also managed to complete the first of my 2 entries for the new Beachhouse Boulevard kit competition. Here is a sneak peek of the finished product:

I am really pleased with the way this one has turned out... I could be spending the winning $25 voucher on a Heidi Swapp mask! More importantly though, I haven't done any sort of scrapbooking for ages, and it was great to get started on it again... I used some of the great shots I took at the farm in January.

I was at Beachhouse Boulevard during the week, and helped Monika re-jig (technical term) a class for a card holder. I used the gorgeous new Kaiser Argentella range to decorate it...

The cardfile is in 12 parts so that it can become a "birthday cardfile" that I can fill with birthday cards as required... ahead of time, an unusual concept for me!!! Monika will be running classes to help me fill it as I could always do with inspiration when it comes to cardmaking... she has some exciting things planned on that front, so keep an eye out for updates.

top up that coffee everyone, there is another post coming!

Big post today

Hi all,

well - I have been busy again! I have been feeling rather inspired, perhaps because the drugs have finally WORKED, and I am feeling better than I have in 6 months (YAY!!!!) OR it could be because I finally managed to find the top of my craft desk...


I had forgotten what it looked like (and BOY was it dusty and dirty...)

I have been working on whittling down the UFO pile.... that is the UnFinished Objects(d'art) pile, in an attempt to make some room for the upcoming soul retreat at which I will create like a madwoman!

So what have I amanged to achieve??? Let me show you!

This was the pin swap that I blogged about back in June, that have been sitting in a bag in the UFO pile for 7 months (and I might add that that is by no means the project that has been in there the longest...). They got their own hanger that I made from a braces clip (spotlight and grunged) with the last of the crowns I had floating around....

The next UFO to get treatment was a Zettiology themed book I did for the PaperArts group.


This one dated from May 2008, and needed to be "bound" in some manner. A bit of 7gypsies tape and VIOLA! Another tick!

Next up was the VicStampers Collaborative Book....


The covers I had been given had a different number of holes from the pages.... so it couldn't be bound like the others. The answer - rusty wire (like duct tape this stuff holds my universe together).

The PaperArts Christmas swap needed to be framed and hung...

The faux laundry hanger was one of 4 that I bought on the net from the US, back when the Aussie $$ was high. *sigh* those were the days...

Next up is a gothic arch book (i was going through a verdigris phase in June last year... still am as you will all see in a future post). covers:

my page:

Again all that was required was binding... I am feeling a common theme in my UFO pile.... unless I was subconsciously cherry-picking the easy stuff (which on reflection may have been the case).

Lastly is a jigsaw swap for paperqueens:

I had to redo 3 of the jigsaw pieces as they had become damaged in transit (one irreparably so). The redone ones were the middle, middle right and bottom left... the bottom right was my original piece for the swap. I have glued the whole lot onto a backing board now so I can do "something else" with them.

I mentioned soul retreat earlier in this post, and for Teresa who was bagging me out yesterday because I couldn't remember my class schedule, I am booked for the following classes: Saturday- Art Journal with DJ Petit;
Sunday- Stephanie Lee Chain Gang;
Monday - Bernie Berlin Profound Secrets...

I can't wait - although I have to spend some time putting my class supply lists together very shortly (like today). I am not sure what I do and don't have in my stash - and may have to go shopping very soon to fill the holes (what a shame).

Phew!!! go and get a cup of coffee girls (& boys?), and then come back for the next installment!

My gorgeous nephew

I am practicing my raspberries on Roy......

This is a 3 year old who is living the moment.

Happy New Year everyone

Hi all,

I am back from the farm, feeling very refreshed and relaxed... and thinking about the cleaning I need to do around the house this afternoon! A bit of procrastination never goes astray - eh wot?

I didn't do any art whilst away, and besides - a large part of the cleaning that I mentioned is in my art space....



as you can see, not a pretty sight!

It was great up at Tumbarumba, and the kids loved their christmas presents from me... Roy got a bike, and Emma a dolly pram:



Even Harry seemed to enjoy himself, except for the bit where he got stuck under the gate (how very Winnie-the Pooh of him).


The walks in the paddock were fantastic.

and even though Ross was busy building a shed:


It was great to spend time with Jill


Wishing you all a happy, healthy 2009...

love
Liz

Bugger - I got sick again

Well all, this completely sux. I got the lurgie again and have been under the weather for 3 weeks! Needless to say the doctor is running a gazillion tests to find out the problems (like perhaps I DIDN'T have pneumonia earlier this year after all). Never mind, we shall press on regardless.

Throughout all of this though I have battled on with work... I must change my motto to be "you don't lie on your deathbed and think of the times you spent working late"... perhaps that will enforce a little more balance. This last month or so has been absolutely ridiculous.

Went to Perth for a couple of days for work (despite being sick as a dog) and saw the family on the weekend before Christmas. It was Mum's birthday on the 17th so we went out for lunch on the saturday with Mrs B. I haven't seen her in ages, and it was great to catch up. Here is a photo of Mrs B, my sister Bee and Mum at the restaurant.

Art wise I haven't managed much... I did a little piece for Greta for the ArtyOz Christmas round robin using cream and turquoise (and rust)...


but that has been about it really. I have been super busy with work and being sick so little time for pleasure.

I went to my friends Dom and Ian's house for Christmas day - it was fantastic. There were a few of us there, we had a huge lunch (and yes, there is a change in eating habits in my new year). I didn't manage a photo of everyone at the same time, but did get some great shots on the day. The new camera worked a treat.

The hosts with the most: Ian and Dom


Ian's Mum Alma (visiting from Cairns) and Dom's brother Lloyd (visiting from the UK)


Barry (sneaking ham off the table)

and Rob

(I tidied this shot up for him as he says he never has any good photos of himself)

This is in the evening, and you can see Dom, Rob, Alma and Ian


I even got into the (heated) pool!! (no photos of that thank god). The blowing up of the LiLo (not sure why the poms call it that) was a team effort...


and the compulsory picture of me. (If this doesn't provide incentive to get healthy....)


I am off to the farm this week for new years. I am playing Santa and taking up a bike and a pram - did I mention that the boxing day sales are the epitome of hell on earth...

blog you all later!