Heart card and "The Engineer" necklace

I've been sad with my second eldest daughter Melissa moving to Adelaide last Saturday to start her own life path attending University there...I've cleaned up her room and it will become my art room at last but for now it's emptiness and me missing her just brings tears to my eyes. I was sad when Carlia (eldest daughter) left too but she still lives in Darwin and while Missy was here the room was still full of life. I guess once its my room the sadness will lesson...well I hope it does.

Grant will paint it next week and then I shall move my arty crafty stuff from the kitchen table area to there and set up a paper craft desk and a metal working one. Hopefully at last this will clear space for me to create in as I usually have just a 20cm square clear LOL. Often when I am sad I have learnt that creating makes me feel better. Today I needed a "band aid" or a hug and looked to creating again to heal myself. It's my Mum's birthday tomorrow so this evening after dinner I got too and made her a card. You can't see it in the photo but the bg is very bright and shimmery as its fantasy film with Opals Franklin Embossing Enamel on the top. I also ran it thru the Cuttlebug plus added the gold adhesive lattice for texture.The purple bg is also shimmery due to me using Luminarte Polished Pigments.

 The top heart folds back to tuck under the butterfly on the inner page so the card stands up.

 Here is a better image of the bottom or inner part of the card.

Happy Birthday Mum...I'll get it in the post when the PO opens again after the small Cyclone over Darwin moves on...hopefully Friday.

I've been asked to go over "the ditch" to New Zealand in September to teach at a craft retreat. The theme will be shrines. My immediate reaction was NO WAY as I have never taught before but after loosing my sister last year I vowed I would jump both feet into life and follow new paths if they came up so eventually said YES. I'm scared and excited all at once *grin*.

Anywho I've started to think about shrines and what to teach. It was stressing me a bit...after I completed Mum's card I just decided to sit and play...not necessarily what I will teach but just get me in the shrine mood. I went for making a necklace...of course LOL. I used a small shrine necklace from Coffee Break designs. They are Masonite and I got mine from Jen's shop. These are tiny and cute at about 3.5cms high by 2.5cm wide. There is a base a mid section and the top. They are quiet deep in the end. Mine is a bit steampunkery (I love watch cogs...I do LOL). I called it The Engineer necklace.

A bit closer but more from the top looking down.

and with door open to the Engineer inside near a fuse and tiny embedded watch parts in jewellery grade resin over the top.

I'm looking forward to having 3 days off next week to get shrine making some more :o).

hugs

Annette In Oz

For The Bird Lovers and Prays For Queensland

I've made another bubble necklace with a bird theme this time. I'm getting braver with drilling and my dangle is one of Jen Crossley gorgeous caste pewter branches that I have patina coloured and drilled a tiny hole thru each end.

This is the other side. It's very hard to take photos off due to the round bubble glass reflecting so sorry these are not the best images.

The Wet season here has been very wet indeed. About ten days ago we took Ryan to Kakadu. The Arnhem Highway to there was open then with just a small amount of water over the road in a few spots. Last week when Grant went out there to release some goannas from The Territory Wildlife Park he works at, the Arnhem Highway was flooded for long stretches. Grant took this photo from the 4wheel drive he was travelling in. So much water everywhere!!!.

I suspect more water is on the way as a gigantic and scary category 5 (the severest ratting), Cyclone Yasi heads to North Queensland. It's expected to cross onto the land at 10pm tonight and be as sever or worse then Cyclone Tracy that wiped Darwin off the map in 1974. This one is HUGE with a 35km wide eye and is approx 500km + wide. I'm scared for the folks over there indeed. It's awful that Queensland people have had so much to cope with this year already with the devastating floods already. Info can be seen here where there will be hourly updates.

I'll be a bit quieter over the next month or so as my second daughter Melissa will leave for Uni in Adelaide (South Australia) on the 12th February and while I struggle with feeling I shall miss her terribly, I'm also happy to finally have a room of my own to create in. We will paint the whole house and I'll be moving my crafts stuff from the kitchen to her room. I wont have access to my materials for a bit....It's been a 20 yr wait so a month more is no biggy LOL.

Please all my friends in north QLD take care!!! I'm not religious but we are all thinking of you at this time.

hugs

Annette In Oz