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New project!

I haven't got anything to show today, as I just remembered yesterday that I have a deadline to finish - oops! Will be doing that for the next couple of days, and am also taking care of Kiti Q while Kell is on holiday.

However, I do have some exciting news - and a fun new project for me! Click on the image below to find out more...

On Your Side

The canvas size is, I think, 18"x24", and a bit brighter in real life. There are bits of this overlay and these rubons, plus some collections chipboard letters, book paper, a scrunched up napkin and paper from an old copy of Pride and Prejudice. The letter stickers are hard to see, but are from Carolee's Creations. There are also a few bits of fabric on there, blue pigment powder and red paint. Oh, and a couple of pieces torn from a picture of a Chagall painting in an old book. The words are the chorus of a Kendall Payne song, I don't know all the lyrics, but here are some of them:

i will show you love
like you've never loved before
i will go the distance
and back for more
if you just say the word

...
the pain that you have suffered through
will never get the best of you
you will hope in something real
and depend on how you feel
when you call my name
then i will answer, answer

cos I am on your side
though the wind and waves
beat against your face
and you were on my mind
when the world was made
trust in me, my child
trust in me, my child

....
you have cried through endless nights
nearly given up the fight
watched your dreams like falling stars
heartache made you who you are
and looking back you see
that i have always been there

....

cos i have heard you cry
and it breaks my heart
for i love you so
and i will never lie
this is not the end
there is still a hope

and I am on your side
though the wind and waves
beat against your face
and you were on my mind
when the world was made
trust in me, my child
trust in me, my child



In other news, one of my layouts has been added to the Basic Grey gallery - here, I sent them the two Infuse based layouts I did for Kiti Q and they selected 'Cafe Family' to include.

New Painting

Well, I can't show you, because I just finished it five minutes ago and am SO not getting the camera out etc at this time of night, also with gel medium-sticky fingers (sorry, my poor laptop), but I just did a mixed media piece and I am really happy with it! Yay! It feel so good to do a 'painting' (ok, canvas really, but there was some paint). Also the message on it is kind of positive which is a step for me. Not my words, lyrics from a Kendall Payne song (will post with the picture of the painting, tomorrow maybe), but quite spiritual and, I dunno, positive. As spiritual things tend to be. For me, anyway, which is the thing with painting, it is more about expression than the end result. Bonus of course if you actually like the end result, which I do tonight, but I may not tomorrow, LOL. I promise I'll still show it though.

What also excited me was using the gel medium and pigment powder I bought (especially after Viv's awesome techniques article in SC about pigments). I don't think I did it properly, cos I was too lazy, I just sprinkled the pigment powder on the canvas and then painted over it haphazardly with gel medium, at the same time as sticking the book paper on. Hmm. Was fun tho, love the messy side of things, despite my unconventional use of mediums. But the important thing is that I DID use them!

OK I have had a glass or two of red, but I do remember I wanted to show a layout. Or was it two. Anyhow, one is in this month's For Keeps and is in the 'heartfelt journaling' category, involving a letter I wrote to my parents a few years ago - actually about 5 years ago, almost - with a recent photo of them.


And it took some thinking, but I remembered the other one I wanted to share was the one I sneak-peeked last week - Space Cowboy. The title is from the funky Jamiroquai track, someone thought it was from someone else's music - Steve Miller? don't know who that is, LOL. Um, no, Jamiroquai it is. I thought I'd post it as a Kiti Q customer who was buying the required product asked about the cowboy hat - I just drew that, but I will be making a tracing / template so if you want it just email Kiti Q when you place an order! A bit too much product involved for a class kit, sorry about that.

This just came in my inbox, the story of the day, and it made me laugh. That could be the wine, of course - not that I've had THAT much - but I'll still share:
Here's the Story of the Day:
Hard Choice
I don't really like coffee, she said, but I don't really like it when my head hits my desk when I fall asleep either.



Photo Morning











Paper Skin

A couple more layouts from the third Candlelit Kit - love this stuff, especially the Jenni Bowlin chipboard and Hambly overlay. I was surprised how much I loved the We R Memory Keepers swirly rubons - the pewter tones just look so nice, and a bit more subtle than black.

How stunning is this photo of Ben and Sienna? One of the fab photos Donna Wild of Wild Creative Photography took for us.

I also made this wedding card and giftwrapping for an online friend of Ben's who lives in New Jersey (in the U.S.). They worked a lot together on VGR, a website for classic video game lovers like themselves. That was a few years ago - 6 years? Anyhow, Rev (his online name) sent us an invitation to his wedding, which we can't go to - surprise, surprise, LOL. But it is a shame we can't so we got them a couple of little gifts and I did this funky wrapping! I also made the card but the wrapping is my favourite bit. I always love wrapping stuff. Most of the stuff is from Love, Elsie's Betty range.

If you like the other kinds of music I listen to (see sidebar to the right), you might enjoy Kendall Payne - I just got her new cd 'Paper Skin' from digistation, I usually buy from cdbaby.com but they were out of stock already. Sweet, piano and lyric-driven melodies, some really nice songs.

I got some fun photos of the kids - well, mainly Sienna - this morning, will hopefully upload some later or tomorrow perhaps. I also have a cute little footstool, which has been covered in a vintage-y polka dot and velvet with appliqued flower, very funky vintage, to give away to a good home, since Ash keeps breaking it and I want it to be appreciated before he does something I can't repair! Pics tomorrow, or later today, or just email me if you think you will want it - Melbourne only, I'm in the Outer East.

Made It, Paris and Candlelit Goodies

Well the new Candlelit kit is up at Fireside and it's a good-un! I just LOVE all these extras, and the L'il Davis papers are so bright and fresh. Here are the pics of my package when it arrived, and the first layout I've done with it, using mostly Dream Street papers - a funny one of Ash playing with rocks at Reedy Creek. I cut out the inside of one of the Hambly transparency frames, and used the Heidi Swapp paint to stamp the Heidi Swapp journaling stamps on the transparencies - all stuff that comes with the kit (and add-on kit). Fun technique for the day :)


I recently discovered, through an artist I found via flickr, a new online community shop called 'Made It' - think etsy for Australians. Not that there aren't Australians on etsy, but you get my drift. These cute little things are from there - don't you just love them! I might actually buy these clips, I just adore the knitted donuts. There is a knitted carrot as well, too cute.

On Saturday I started a new mini - album with some new flocked paper I just picked up. It's called 'Five Days in Paris' and I am trans- cribing all my writing from my travel journal about those five days in Paris, April 2005. Just Ben, Sienna and I walking all over. I am loving remembering everything and putting all my thumbnail pictures through the journaling.

I've been having fun hanging out at SIS TV lately - adding layouts and checking out the gallery etc. Was thrilled to find some of my fave Aussie scrappers there, including Lee, Lusi and Clair. Check out this layout by Lee - just awesome, I love it. I need that green hambly! LOL.
Random post time - in case anyone was wondering, I'm still here ;) Here's some stuff I'm loving at the moment -

CANDYTOWN!!! Love these paper designs by Adrienne Looman, an exclusive release from Scrap In Style TV, so funky and bright and cool. I have totally ordered this, and am also getting the current collection with it, which is Kelli Crowe's 'Shabby Rockstar' range I believe. Fun fun fun :) It'll arrive in August sometime.

Tinkering Ink CHA release 'Botanical Bliss' - so bright and beautiful, can't wait to see this in real life, and just the prompt required for Kiti Q to add Tinkering Ink to their range of fresh and funky brands - yay! Not sure when it will be available, but it will be fun.

ebay - Kell helped me pick up this display cabinet I bought on ebay, and it fits perfectly into the only (previously) empty corner in my tiny lounge room - yay! It is supposed to be for storing Ben's games, so I can take the shelf in our bedroom down, which I wanted to do as I am redecorating the bedroom at the moment. But Ben and I both agree that the green tones of xbox games won't do much justice to how nice the cabinet looks now. Not sure what to do about that, though, it has to have a practical use. Also the two pastels resting on the top are my recent purchases from my friend Anna Mackow (you might remember my layout of Sara the last post - Anna is Sara's mum, they are both very cool!). I have a rule that I only buy art in mediums I don't use myself, these are oil pastels and I just love them.

Another big one - IKEA! Went there with the kids on Wednesday to get them a quilt cover each. They are in different colours but similar design / theme, one girly and one boyish. Here are pics of them on their beds (Ash's will look better when he has a proper single bed, but it still looks much better than before). Also their 'Smalland' play area meant I only had to cart Ash around for an hour, and got almost everything I wanted to look at done in that time.

Cooking with native herbs - Ben's folks are behind the Outback Pride project and we get most of the herbs and sauces they produce from the bush foods and herbs grown on Indigenous communities. It's all very interesting stuff, but the bit I enjoy is the cooking! Love adding these funky flavours to whatever I'm cooking - kangaroo stroganoff with ground kutjera is a family favourite. Last night I added saltbush, mountain pepper and lemon myrtle to my roast chicken and homemade stuffing. Yum! You can even get some of them from Safeway now, under the brand Outback Cafe.

On to other things, here is a sneak peek of a layout I did yesterday for next week's Kiti Q newsletter - register on the site if you want to get it and don't already :) It uses mostly the Cherry Arte Arcade range, which should be arriving in store next week, with a bit of Rouge de Garance, Scenic Route and Love, Elsie thrown in for fun. And it was a fun one ;)



I've been tagged by the gorgeous Lee as a 'Rockin' Girl Blogger'! So I'm gonna tag some of my favourites as 'Rockin' Girl Bloggers' -

Sylvia
Kell
Clair
Vita
Donna
Nic

(I would totally have tagged Viv and Lusi too, but they were tagged already, LOL - such rockin' girls!)

Ash is driving me mad and this post has taken most of the morning (on and off), so just one last bit of news -Noell Hyman contacted me through 2 Peas and is featuring me on her blog paperclipping this week. I am intrigued as to what she will say, that's for sure!

If I had an applause emoticon I'd totally put it here for anyone who made it this far :) Laters.

More...

One I started last night and just finished this morning, and another I did this morning. This first one is my third using Fireside Craft's first Candlelit kit, I love this kit! Still have lots of papers left too.

This second is using Basic Grey Infuse again, with a splash of paint and one of my favourite Scenic Route chipboard circles, all from Kiti Q!


Thanks for all the lovely comments, you guys are sweet to me :)

Aussie Dares

Did this layout for the current 'Aussie Dares' challenge - it is based on a page from a vintage children's book and a torn piece from an old children's record cover. I got to use a few bits and pieces the lovely Viv sent me, as well as some vintage crochet bits and some lace I picked up from the Alannah Hill outlet.

Had a bad afternoon yesterday, Ash broke my portrait lens while I had turned my back to clean up a beer glass that had fallen out of the cupboard and smashed (after having the dryer spinning away in the bathroom shook it all up a bit), then the cat knocked our new soap ceramic liquid soap dispenser into the bath where it smashed, and I found out Regina Spektor played in Melbourne LAST weekend and I totally would have gone if I'd known early enough. Hoping today goes better.

On a positive note, Em left lovely comments on a couple of my layouts in my new 2 Peas gallery (see sidebar for link) that I started on Sunday.

'I *heart* happy kids' and other facts

A couple of layouts to share, but more about that later - I almost forgot I was tagged by Tammy. What was it for? Um, 8 random things. Here goes.

1. Someone asked and I forgot to reply, yes I have a cello in my bedroom, though I don't play anymore. I would like to but every time I get it out it needs re-tuning, the strings get old and loose, and Sienna didn't used to like it, or would try and grab the bow out of my hands. Oh, and also I'm no good at it anymore, LOL. I played in high school, mostly. I started when I was 11 and bought the cello when I was 16, but have not had lessons since I was 15.

2. I told Ruey today I might not be able to go to her Stampin' Up demo in a couple of weeks, because Kell will be in Adelaide and I am too much of a wuss to be social by myself, LOL. True, but funny.

3. I bought a couple of pastels from a friend's exhibition a couple of weeks ago and have been trying to catch her home to pay for them and pick them up, but with no luck so far. Am looking forward to hanging them in my house.

4. I rearranged my very small bedroom on Thursday and it looks like it has more room already. Soon my new bed will be in here and it will look even better :)

5. Often when I have bouts of depression Ben suggests or queries the possibility of my travelling (for instance, to Germany to visit Sylvia) - not 'cos he wants to get rid of me, LOL, though I doubt he'd mind with me in those moods, but because I love to travel, I love to plan to travel an it makes me happy. Very expensive form of distraction or therapy, though, so no travel plans in store at the moment ;)

6. I have always really loved cats but one of our current cats - Neko - just annoys me. A lot. And as a result I am less attentive to Boo, our nicer cat.

7. Phthalo blue is my favourite paint colour. Not sure how it's pronounced correctly though. This painting is one of my favourites I've done and it uses a lot of Phthalo blue. It's just slightly more turquoise than a cobalt or ultramarine blue.

8. This morning I picked up an ebay purchase - a chest of drawers, really sweet white ones, two timber chairs, two timber children's chairs, a magazine holder and a cane basket, all for the grand total of $36. It was a Buy It Now thing I stumbled across and I couldn't believe how cheap. The rest is take it or leave it, but the drawers are really nice and will go near Sienna's bed I think.

Now 8 tags is just too much for me, so I just tag anyone and everyone. I love reading people's random facts, so if you feel like writing them just let me know so I can have a squiz ;)

OK LAYOUT SHARE TIME

I did 3 layouts the other day - well, one I finished at 12:10am Friday, so I count it as a Friday layout, and two during the day on Friday. This first one is using the Basic Grey Infuse range which has recently come in to Kiti Q - I love the old-fashioned wallpaper feel of these patterns.

These second couple of layouts are using the first Candlelit kit from Fireside Crafts - I love using this kit and there is masses of product left after these two layouts. This is a double promo - Fireside is sponsoring Kate Mason's sketch on Sketches Oz this fortnight, so these layouts are two interpretations of Kate's sketch, using nothing but Fireside's first kit. It was great fun, I can really recommend these kits - the third kit is due out soon and is totally FAB!

OK chat chat over, hope everyone is having a great weekend.

Scrapbook Creations 44

Lots of stuff from me in this issue - my article "Wish and Whimsy" (which is actually my first one, just the second one published), a couple of layouts in the Quick Grabs gallery and a project layout (which I thought was going in 45, but there you go). Kell has a fab layout right near the start of the Quick Grabs gallery (plus a little version of it on the Quick Grabs intro page), calle "5 Years On". Which is quite funny, as it is another photo from the same shoot as my 'XOXOX' layout which is part of the article, and both mention it being their 5th anniversary! If anyone didn't realise we were sisters, there's another clue ;)

I don't think it's my imagin- ation, this issue of the mag seems highly saturated? All my layouts, and Kell's layout, are a bit darker and deeper than in real life - the whole issue seems to have that for the layouts. It still looks good, of course, just a note. Here are all my layouts from this issue.