Spring has sprung...

So much going on this year, i have been neglectful all round. Neglectful online, with facebook, with my art and digi scrapbooking. So I decided to do a page today! YAY. I used CSI's 215 challenge as inspiration, but can't seem to login there at all to post, so I'll just post here! I added a bit of black.

Neglectful Me - digi scrapbooking layout - Oct 2016

I love the intensity of irises. They are a surprise packet each year cause to me they all look the same until they flower!

Coming out of Winter.. eventually August 2016

Are we coming out of winter any time soon? It doesn't really feel like it yet. So, I'll just have to make do with digi scrapbooking for the bright, warm colours! That's why I liked this challenge at ARTastic so much for August. It also reminded me somewhat of the mad colour world of Clarice Cliffe so I went a bit wild with it! Will come back and put some ingredients in, after I've had a rest.

I think alot the challenges I do sublimially connect with me. Like the swing in this one - my favourite pasttime as a youngster. Forever nagging mum to take us to a park with a good swing. And the Victorian style dresses reminded me of dressing up!

I used three photos taken of me dressing up in Mum's clothes (possibly all from the 1960's.) I used to like the silver shoes particularly - they felt like cinderella's slippers, even though they were big for me. I also used to 'play' with mum's jewellery, but I mainly liked to feel the textures; the hard cameos, the smooth cold plastic long necklaces, and the chunky chains.

http://artasticchallengeblog.blogspot.com.au/2016/08/say-hello-to-august.html

Dress up 2016 digi ARTastic August 2016 entry

and the inspiration looked like this :

It's a Cow Thing 2016 digi July

What can I say about cows? I have really good early memories of visiting a dairy farm several times, patting calves ready to go to market, associating with near blind sheep dogs, and being around peppercorn trees and rotting stock yards of the 'old dairy' with new plonked right down next to it, the great hunt for cow pats to take home for the garden, and watching the old bulls (at great distance) in their separate holds. All the dairy cattle in my local area were black and white friesians. Each farmer had their own idea what was best to keep; one farmer had near black herd with very little white, another had 50-50 black/white, and another still had 'few spots' white cattle with a couple of black spots on their hides, and of course everyone else had a mixture.

I always considered cows a bit of a mystery in the farm animal world. They knew when it was time for milking, and some walked right up to the gate (and even into the dairy), but on other occasions they would stare blankly at an open gate and seem to prefer to push through a fence. They didn't come when they were called or you offered a sprig of green grass. Just like in one of my favourite childhood books Chocky by John Wyndham - cows just 'stopped' - not physically so much but just stopped thinking. Or perhaps we people just never found the connection language to converse with them as we did with other animals.

I still look in every paddock where there are dairy cattle, and long one day to be able to paint them. I took tonnes of photos last Christmas when Mum asked me what I really wanted to do that day, and I said I'd love to take some cow photos somewhere where they are close to the road (so no permission required to go on private land). Mum was suprised but took me straight to a herd she knew about and I clicked to my hearts content. It was a very mixed herd; Guernsey and Jersey as well as Friesian but I didn't mind.  I just find dairy cows beautiful in some way.

So when the 'country' theme came up with my all time favourite painting 'Spring Frost' by Gruner, I had to do a scrapbooking page featuring one of the photos I took at Christmas!

It's a Cow Thing 2016 July - ARTastic - digi layout

I channeled the colours from the inspiration painting to put this page together. Colours I wouldn't normally have put together on my own, but very effective as a page.

ARTastic July inspiration

ingredients:

DigiChick Kimeric Kollections Sisters - patterned papers no 16 (floral) 

Far Far Hills Freebies Kit Clock & Gears 001 

Tracy Reed Bad Sewing Machine 18 set 2 black

Cilenia Curtis CP8 Tab & Tags no 9 and no 12 | Talula Moon Designs Sunset - Staple Strip 002

 Aliya Because of You El6a (fluffy seed head)

Angie Young Get Craft Collage Sheet 36

 Rachael’s Antique & Vintage Buttons set 2 no 25

MSweet Boutique - Christmas Silhouette horse clip art no 16 

Laitha’s Designs Nocturn Whispers Elements e16 (straw thatch), e15 (branch circle)

Cilenia Curtis Fly With Me e-Frame1 (journaling frame), 4x6paper no 6

 Far Far Hills Freebies Kit Photo Frames 004

Far Far Hills Freebies Kit Light Wood with Grain 004

 Hand Stitched bees (mine)

 L Grier Disaster Space 1 - paintstrokes

Sparrow moment and Kraft+ #3 July 2016

I had a sparrow moment yesterday driving to work. We had had rain overnight/into the morning and a bit of foggy brrr start to the morning, but nothing like the last 2 weeks which have been very cold and frosty all day. I drove down the side street (which is an industrial area) and on my left was a car parked that had been there all night - because all the road was wet but under that car it was dry, and the car itself was beaded with dew and its windows fogged in. Well, underneath that car there were about 50 sparrows sitting there and using that darn car as a giant umbrella. As I drove by, one or two shuffled out and back in, but in general no one moved an inch! It was quite a sight.

I decided to try another new challenge site this month and challenge my brain in new ways. The idea of having to use a Kraft background hasn't really occurred for me since my early comp days a few years ago, when Kraft board was so popular I was buying it by the 50 sheet pack.

Actually it was challenging. http://kraftpluschallenges.blogspot.com.au/2016/07/july-challenge-kraftboard-3-sheet-music.html
But in the end I rather enjoyed it; I loved the photos of inspiration; particularly those blush colours in the bouquet and the soft greens in the cake, and trying to incorporate sheet music into the layout without overpowering it.

Serenity digi layout July 2016 Kraft+

will come back later and put ingredients in.

Face The Fear 2016 July - CSI 204 - digi

Oh, the pretty pretty pretty pretty colours of CSI's #204. Enough to drag anyone in - through barbed wire or brick wall. And the Testimony which lead me to the Face The Fears inspiration really helped me to stop and think of all the things I've achieved this year so far in working to break some of my life long fears. So that's what I based my page on; that and my favourite things like birds, flowers, using myself as a paper doll, flourishes (i so love them), paint splatters (my favourites!), and creating a very freehand looking page with digi medium. There's actually more photos here of mine than meets the eye - besides the photo of me, I took all those bird photos individually (and the one flower - the petunia).

CSI #204 Time To Face The Fears 2016 July digi

CSI 204 inspirational

Testimony: document about something you love alot (besides the birds and flowers and elements I really do love these things I've managed to do so far even though it was scary for me), Creativity Prompt : Face The Fears, Evidence : Evidence: damask pattern, polka dots, stripes, hearts, wings, birds, bird cage, metal, swirls/flourishes, borders ,frames, flowers.
Ingredients: will come back and put them in (I hope).

I also created this card using my digi page. I like
to make a card with each layout so when I
need a card I can whip one out much
quicker!

Sacred Kingfisher ARTastic June 2016

When I first saw this inspiration I really didn't think I could do anything with it. Black, white and one other colour? If I changed a photo to black and white, that reduced the colour in the whole layout. If I left the photo in colour - then that added too many colours to counter the challenge. Eventually I decided on spotlighting just the bird in the photo an turning the background to a high contrast black and white. That seemed to work.

I went for the orange in the bird rather than the blue. I use blue all the time. I wanted to make it a bit more challenging for myself.

I'm really happy with the results!

I love bird watching, and although the Sacred Kingfisher is not endangered, its not a normal backyard bird. It prefers creek beds or rivers and nests in the banks. Its a tiny bird and difficult to see when its darker back is turned towards you (because it blends in with the clay bank or branches). I usually here the tiny 'plink' noise first; the sound of the bird going down to the water either for a drink or a quick go at an insect. It does just the one and then goes back to its perch. Then it waits and does it again. There can be days where I spend half an hour waiting to spot one that I never find, whereas other days I spot them over and over again.

Sacred Kingfisher June 2016 digi layout

ARTastic inspiration JUNE 2016 - black and white plus one colour

Walking into the Past 2016

Since I've had more freedom in my life I've found I really enjoy going to older parts of Albury or Wodonga and walking around and looking at the older homes, streets and plants. I am being more and more adventurous and seeing parts of the towns that I never knew existed.

One of my favourite areas is in Albury near the Albury High School. Classically laid out blocks intersewn with more modern additions like mini roundabouts to stop hooning, some places flattened for flats, but on the whole, a good mix of each decade from 1900's onwards. Sometimes I imagine what I would do if I owned that house; what I would change, how I would tie the garden into the style of the house. Its a great excuse for going for a walk.

The last time I went there (last weekend) I took my camera, and took some photos of the amazing houses and the trees. So that is what I decided to scrap on the Archiscraps June 2016 diamond challenge. I also did a card, and came up with my own wording.

Walking into the past 2016 digi page
Archiscraps June 2016

Archiscraps June 2016 inspiration - colour pallette and diamonds

Diamonds Card June 2016 digi

Will come back later and pop ingredients in.

Winter Twitch 2016 digi layout

I am really excited to finally find time to scrap some of my Melbourne trip a few weekends ago. That said, I was even more excited to see that Challenge no 3 for the Counterfeit kit challenge for June 2016 was also about using the oldest item or kit in your stash and using it a new way.

This really make me think, and took me back to one of my very first digi kits, which at the time, I thought was wonderful. It had odd bits that were difficult to use, birds that looked insane, and patterned paper that today I would like the look of, but the textures incorporated and the quality is far from where digital scrapbooking has moved to since. I do use parts of the kit now and then (usually te stamp like frames and ribbon!), but even from when I bought it I struggled to use it.

Using my today self and skills to turn the pieces into something I could really work with I found amazing!! I hope to use these pieces over and over again now.

Winter Twitch Jun 2016 - Counterfeit No 3 - digi page using Love Bird Kit

Dee Bee Designs - Love Birds - one of my very first digi kits. Papers below.

I used this kit again for inspiration - but mainly focused on the flower clump
on the white page near the navy patterned paper - the pink, yellow, blue, dark blue and turquoise

will come back later and put ingredients in.

St Stephens Church Williamstown 2016

I visited St Stephens Church in Williamstown about a month ago, because I requested to see some stained glass windows; and wow; wasn't disappointed. The site was brimming with history and included an older wooden slat church still on the site.

When I saw the Forgeries on the Fourth for June 2016 I thought, 'how the heck am I going to make a page about the church (traditional / stained glass window feel) with THAT kit.' But hey, eventually you can make anything happen! I just left off all that pink (its not something you see alot of in stained glass windows).

The older church just happened to be the almost turquoise green colour in the kit, so although I changed the picture of it to black and white (to give the impression of its age) I added the colour to my timber patterned paper in the background.

I'm really happy with how this page turned out. I also used the silhouette tutorial to create my swirls with a different background paper, and white edged the leaves and flowers I used.

Will come back and put the ingredients in.

'St Stephen's' digi layout - Forgeries on the Fourth - June 2016

this was the June 2016 kit inspiration - i liked the dark navy paper,
the turquoise green colours, the lettering and the rich red colour

and this.. I used the Happy style in my 'church' title

and this tutorial... I used to create the swirls behind the flowers

And this techique I used to create my flowers and leaves with a
white edge.

Auntie Edna.. goodbye

My Auntie Edna passed away on Monday 30th May 2016 aged 95. She was born in 1920, the youngest of seven children. I had shared many moments with her over the years; lots of Christmas's and my 21st birthday party, and visited her at her home many, many times. We exchanged succulents for a time, I got a seedling from her Hoya to grow (she had an amazing one on her front porch), and I shared many of my Nan (my grandmother / her sister) experiences with her as she and I were her main visitors in the last part of her life.

I think Auntie Edna would have enjoyed the funeral, particularly when her beloved Andy Williams tracks were played and seeing all her family and friends come together.

Haven't been able to think of much else these past few weeks, so when a Challenge came up that included softness and flowers, I had to a page on my Auntie Edna.

Edna 2016 digi page - Counterfeit Kit Challenge No 1 - Inspiration Board

and the Inspiration Board that inspired this page
(particularly top left and bottom left):

 

Ingredients:

Background paper : Aida Domisiewicz Frosted Life Cold Wall 13@arts (made in Poland)

Flowers : Far Far Hill Freebies Vintage Scans Illustrations Flowers and Butterflies : 0037 (pansies), Far Far Hill Vintage Illustration kit Roses 005 (orange rose), Far Far Hills Vintage Illustration Freebies 007 (sweet peas), Far Far Hill For You 009 (purple and white flowers), Far Far Hills Feast Love Skimersan 002 (other orange rose) Lara’s Digital World - For Lara - Flower2 & 3 (white rose), Far Far Hill Nocturne el8 (red flower)

Paint splatters: Lgrier Disasterspace no 1 - Paintstrokes no 1 and no 3

Frame: Kimeric Sis Frame 1

Silver Heart: Indigo Designs - Always in my Heart elements no 17

Ribbon : Far Far Hills Feast Love Skimersan 0013

Fonts: Broadway (title) & Baskerville Old Face (text)

Share & Cherish 2016 digi page for Counterfeit April

Counterfeit April Challenge no # 2 - c'est magnifique, n'es pas? I looked at the main kit and thought wow and then looked at the inspiration for #2 and thought WOWZERS. I really liked this item, and used it to inspire me to create a really special page.

my Share & Cherish 2016 digi page

the inspiration

I really enjoyed looking at the inspiration and pulling things from my stash of similar value or shape or type and then piecing them together into a page.

Forgeries on the Fourth - April 2016

http://counterfeitkitchallenge.blogspot.com.au/2016/04/forgeries-on-fourth-april-tutorials.html

Easter & Nan 2016 - digi - for forgeries on the fourth - counterfeit kit challenge

I have such warm memories of the last fifteen or so years of my Nan's life; particularly around Easter because that was the holiday that I always, as a rule, spent with her. And she loved her chocolate, so it was easy to please her with a chocolately gift. My Auntie and Uncle who aren't would help out in the later few years and I was able to drive Nan to their place for an Easter high tea, and then back to the home. It was fun to treat Nan and think up ways to surprise her or find a treat she'd enjoy.

This easter seemed much more intensive than the other two since Nan passed; perhaps because this was the first one in years where I was away and not at home. It just felt more like something was missing.

I really enjoyed using the inspiration from the kit to twist these feelings into a scrap page.

Forgeries on the Fourth - March 2016 - everyday thankful

I found it very challenging to focus on a theme and then to use the inspiration provided to turn a page into a loose form pie or other chart. I loved the quotes sheet and also incorporated one of those as the originals were not good enough quality to use as they were.

What are we actually thankful for? For me, at the moment, the personal level is a bit of a mess, so I went to a higher level. If I was going to thank God (or a higher being) what would I thank them for?

Trying to encorporate enough of the chart themes and some photos was also challenging, but in the end I got a few on there - including one of my best bug shots, and a pic of me I took just for quirky scrapbooking pages!

This one and the page before it, are the first scrapping i've done for weeks. It was good to create something again.

Forgeries on the Fourth - March 2016 challenge http://counterfeitkitchallenge.blogspot.com.au/2016/03/forgeries-on-fourth-march-tutorials.html was a challenge, but I'm happy with this page.

'Everyday Thankful' digi scrapbooking page 2016

I also created a card based on this theme.

"Thankful Card' 2016

May you live in pinteresting times...

This is my page for the Counterfeit Kit Challenge March #1 which invited us to be inspired by a Pinterest picture and create a page from that.

This is my digi page "Life" 2016 based on the above.

I chose this pic from my Pinterest - the flower
arrangement in the rounded white vase.

 Journaling says : "Life is about growth. About moving forward. Learning from mistakes. Sometimes it hurts. Sometimes it isn't fair."

I couldn't find lettering in my staff or fonts I was happy with, so I cut out the letters from the grass. I didn't have the right flowers to match the photo, so I found things in my stash that were of a similar shape or value and then edited them to fit. One day, someone will make pretty blossom sticks like there are in that photo; in the meantime I will have to improvise!

Painting, Heat & Similar Frustrations March 2016

This summer just keeps going and going. So lucky my splitty was installed last year. Now its really making a difference. I've been painting, but more detailed works with pens (.01, .02, .05, .08) and branched out onto larger pieces on stiffened card. I love the contrasts and how you can attain them with pens; plus at the moment detailed squiggles seem almost relaxing.

Struggling with most other things, but starting to point back in the right direction now.

Looking at several upcoming things like a very scary submission to a gallery for an exhibition, where they will only select 40 works from various local artists. Have one painting done, and if the pen one gets finished before then it might pip it at the post.

Yoga and work are the only constant.

Working TItle: Method in the Maddness No 2
Half finished (the lower half) of this larger than A3 work.
No sketch required - just sit down and start doodling.

Started this this morning. No idea really where I'm going.
could even be the other way up! I was going to channel the idea
of a creek.

Seal it With a Kiss 2016 digi layout

I had a go at a new challenge site that I tripped over (a friend of a friend had a link to it on their blog). I really have no idea what I'm doing but I really liked the sound of the challenge, and I've always enjoyed using my own stash and twisting it to match themes, photos, or styles.

This page is for the Forgeries on the Fourth. (Counterfeit Kit Challenge Feb 2016)

I really enjoyed faking the hearts to look like the ones in the kit and the ones that Leslie had created. I also had a go at making the repetitive background with a daisy and leaf outline.

The colours of the kit was the most challenging - so many colours. Which to highlight, which to leave in the background or to a minimum. I loved the stitching component and went a bit mad with that. It was also tricky in the end because I knew the page needed a lot of white, but at the same time, because the blues reminded me of the nautical theme I ended up going with, there had to be enough of them to capture that too. I ended up getting most of the white from the patterned papers. I also had to trade off the envelope I wanted to use with a postcard. All my envelopes are very antique style and just didn't go with this layout. I loved how the fringe had been used on those hearts and had to use the closest I could get to that - a material fringe - but very happy with the results.

This set of photos I took on my Christmas Break on a day trip to Orbost and Marlo in Victoria, Australia. I got some really good photos on that day trip with Mum and Dad (it was Mum's birthday). I also got to see where the Snowy River enters the ocean.

If I could have jumped in and kissed this seal I would have - the experience was unbelievable and very memorable - but being wild he would have maimed me, so best just to remember him by these pics! (He was BIG - over 2 meters long).

Seal it With a Kiss 2016 digi layout

Ingredients :

American Crafts - City Park Paper Pack no 2  | American Crafts - Becky Higgins Baby 4 Him Papers  | CSI Coordinates #13 - Spotty Paper  | DigiChick - Akizo Designs - Wishing & Hoping  | DigiChick - Vero Designs Hello Autumn Rosettes & Assorted Buttons  | Sweet Shoppe Designs - Traci Reed Bad Sewing Machine No 18 Kinda Kleen  | Sugar Hill Co - Rachael’s Scraps - Pleated Trims Set  | Scrap Art Studio - Cilenia Curtis - Fly With Me | Pickleberrypop - Lorie M Designs - Doodle Flowers Collection 3  | Pickleberrypop - Armina Designs I Wanna Be  | Scanned myself - orange paper flower sprig, postcard, first day of issue stamp, pleated ribbon,  Australian Stamps - Christmas 2015

I also created this card using most of the elements from the page above!

'Love You' digi card - Forgeries on the 4th - Counterfeit Kit Feb 2016