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

Hand Made Cards-made sent and recieved!

Merry Christmas.I hope you all had a great day (if you celebrate it).It's been a mad rush here these last few weeks.I decided I couldn't send store bought cards and spent most of my time pre Christmas making hand made cards.Family got cards with Minty the Jack Russel on the top...she paid to have her photo taken with Santa to support the RSPCA.

I've received some lovely cards from my arty friends this year....thank you to you all.This one was made by Louise Magetti from Queensland.

Alice Mc Kinney in Western Australia made this traditional vintage looking masterpiece.

Barb Porritt from Victoria made this amazing T slider construction card.You pull the tab at the right and the centre panel moves up and to the side to reveal a message underneath.I love it!!

Gail Hart from Tasmania made this lovely angel Christmas card and sent me a BIG surprise too.

Kat Palmer made a lovely embossed Christmas themed card.

Sue Gregory used shades of blue on white to make me this pretty long card.

Linda Aldred made this winter wonderland card...snow...I wish LOL.

and lastly but not least Riki Showell stamped and coloured this cute gum nut Christmas card for me.

Along with the Christmas cards there were some late but highly appreciated birthday cards.The first one is from Celeste who has made a lovely bird themed card...love the nest with eggs at the bottom and those cute bird punched shapes.

and Gail made me this gorgeous butterfly,bird and swirls card.

The next one is one I made for my friend Louise Magetti birthday.The hand carved bird stamp image in the centre was made by Jan Harris whom I did several classes with at the Creative Soul Art Retreat earlier this year.During class I had stamped the bird on tissue and then once home forgot about it till I was looking for an image to use on Louise's card.I've painted the bird with Daler Rowney iridescent inks.Polished pigments and Schmincke are on the bg so the card was very rich in colour and shimmer.I had to photograph it side on as it kept reflecting light in areas.

This is what I made for my arty friends this Christmas...sorry if they are still waiting for them but I didn't post some till boxing day!!!

Outside the weather has been WET WET WET.No as bad as the Eastern States were there has been heaps of flooding.Still its made for more magical happenings in the bush block we live on.There are thousands of these termite tubes that have popped up overnight.They are made of dirt and look like natures sky scrappers.I think they do these high because of the rain in case there is flooding.Its the exit for them after they evolve underground.When the time is right they knock the top off and fly away.I know they are a pest but I find it fascinating to see these dirt tubes everywhere.
Of course more mushrooms are popping up too.These orange ones are almost fluro!!!

What would Christmas be without babies being born? The Northern Blue Tongue has given birth to 9 babies.Grant has a handful of them here.

Sometimes I can't see the Forest for the trees and have only just noticed how to upload more then one photo at a time here LOL.I've been thinking I should get too and upload some pf my photos from our trip to Broome in August so now I know how to do more then one photo at a time I shall try to do that after dinner tonight.Tomorrow and the next day I have slotted to play at my desk.I hope 2011 brings you all love,laughter,good health and happiness.

hugs

Annette In Oz

Two More Birthday Cards

Another two gorgeous hand made cards came in the mail this week.There was this lovely ?coffee stained and sewn card from Marilena Stanton'

Then there was a wonderful construction card by Barb Porritt.

As you open the heart you push it back on a cs hinge and tuck the heart point under the butterfly.Love it.

Thanks Marilena and Barb :o)

hugs

Annette In Oz

Altered Light Switch by Celeste

My dear friend Celeste sent me one of her altered light switches and I just love it!!.I was so surprised to receive it as Celeste hadn't told me it was on the way.It came in a shimmery gold painted, stamped and stitched pouch that was a map page.

front of pouch

And here is the altered light switch hanger...love that tiny scroll in there and alcohol inked frame...just gorgeous :o).

THANK YOU SO MUCH Celeste.Life's curve balls are coming at me this last week or so so I have had very little time to get creative.We are due for accreditation at work in three weeks so I'm working six evenings a week doing some extra paperwork/computer entry stuff.I'm still trying to finish my collaborative paper bag book pages as well so the days are busy and racing by.The extra work has exacerbated my degenerative disc problem ggggrrr but I do like working in the office in the evening when all is quiet on my own.

Paula and Barry recently left a comment about my "Fairy Poem" post...I still don't know who wrote it but Paula's and Barry's comments gave me goose bumps.It seems this poem was well known here and other areas of the World.I'm so thankful I could remember it at all after all these years and I'm touched it gave Paula's Mum some comfort in her time of loss.Barry you are the same age as my Mum so maybe she too was taught the poem in school.I'll call her on Monday and ask.

hugs

Annette

Merry Christmas Everyone

MERRY CHRISTMAS one and all and I hope 2010 brings you all a load of love,laughter and creativity.I have received some gorgeous Christmas cards this last week(and managed to make and send 60 of my own) and thanks to all of you who sent them.The hand made card is such a humble yet treasured thing.I love to feel the textures and rove my eyes over the whole card.This first one is by Sue Gregory who is from New South Wales.Its been embossed in the Cuttlebug and then lightly sanded.

This one is by Rikki Showell from Tasmania who does lovely folded and beaded/stitched cards.

Marilena Stanton from Queensland sent me this one below.Its stitched around the edges and has some gorgeous red stick on rhinestones in the centres of the flower forms.It gives the card some bling that does not scan well I'm afraid.

Louise Magetti also from Queensland sent me the utterly neat and arty Cuttlebug embossed background card below.Love the woven threads on the star and above the German scrap.

Next is one from Linda Aldred in...yep Queensland.How cute hey LOL

One even came from Jan Robertson in New Zealand...the purple and silver just rock on this card.

The fairies and elves got together to help create this cute one from The Creative Soul Retreat organizer and her helpers Bev Lea in Victoria.I'm so looking forward to that retreat in March next year I can tell you.

and from Western Australia came this festive coloured reindeer card made by Christina Blackburn

The next is from Barb Porritt who is a another Victorian.For some reason the scanner scanned the dark green as black...got to love the gorgeous serviettes out there for us paper crafters to use.

and lastly I got two amazing cards from Gail Hart who is also from Tasmania.One is a Christmas card of course

and this lovely vintage child card for a late birthday card

Hope Santa was good to you all.I have 24 tubes of new paint to explore and a new crafters tool set too plus other treasures...must have been a good girl this year hey LOL.Hope to get creative again soon as I've had an enforced break due to a sore back the last few weeks and I'm finding it painful to sit or stand too long.Take care everyone and hope you all have had wonderful Christmas days yourselves...must go and walk off lunch LOL.

hugs

Annette In Oz

Handmade Cards Received For My Birthday

Happy Birthday to me and anyone else who shares the same date.Shame I have to go to work this evening though.I've received some lovely hand made cards for my birthday.This one is from Lousie Maghetti and the heart is padded.Love the sewn elements on it

Next at top is sweet sea themed card from Sue Gregory.I have an old photo of my Mum and Dad that looks pretty similar to the stamp Sue has used here.At the bottom is a

yummy textured card from Barb Porritt.That little boy and clock image is gorgeous.

and the last one at top is by Rikki Showell andwho loves folding elements.This type of fold is a Triore fold

The bottom one is by Mary Fenton and came a few weeks ago but I forgot to scan it.Thanks everyone :o)

hugs

Annette

Recent Mail and Meet Some Locals

I've had one of those fast paced "where did the days go" weeks.Finally a day off today and I've been sorting the lovely things that came thru the mail recently for me from others.Linda Aldred (who has a bad back but still makes wonderful creations)made and sent me this lovely blue and white card for my birthday next week.

The very naught Lucy sent me all these amazing vintage items for one of my etched metal ATC's...I was dumb founded when they came as I would have been happy for one pen nib and told her so.I offered to send it back but she wouldn't let me.There was also a yummy piece of metal vine and a small glass bottle in with it all too but I forgot to add them in my photo.I love that some of the pen nibs have letters on them and that rusted ?door handle or knocker base just begs to be included in an assemblage.Its near on impossible to get things like what Lucy sent me here so I am truly thankful to her for all the things she sent.

Carole in New Zealand sent me this gorgeous sewn vintage doily ATC as a trade.On the back is some green hand made silk paper and it is a divine colour /texture.

On my last days off we had to do alot of things around the house and my plans to get arty never eventuated.We also did a drive out to Oenpelli art centre with a friend who is moving to Melbourne and wanted to buy some Aboriginal art.We have gone there maybe 5 times in total.It's an Aboriginal community a few hours drive away.You can only get in and out when the tide is low and the Cahill crossing is then exposed.The tides up here are 6-8metres high and the river is salt water crocodile infested so that is why you can't cross till the tide goes down.

As the tide lowers the fish get caught near the crossing wall and the crocs have learnt this and as we got to the crossing there were three visible large crocs doing a bit of fishing LOL.I'd hate to imagine how many were below the water that you can't see.We were a fair way back from this one but as we crossed the crossing he was still there and was about the length of the four wheel drive we were in.Glad the car didn't stall!!!

On the way back home we went into Bird Billabong.It's an oasis for bird life and other animals.This year the Wet season rains are late(ignore the weather guy you folks down south...we are not getting storms every night)and the billabong was nearly dried up.Not much greenery even for this water buffalo I'm afraid.

The Magpie Geese were in the almost dried up centre water area.Hope it rains soon for them and the billabong fills back up.I think I have photos of the Bird Billabong when it is full of water and the contrast is amazing.

Now to this weeks "who left evidnece in my camera" segment...its Carlia and OMG she is on her own LOL.Well almost as she is cuddling one of our fur babies-our mad as Jack Russel Minty.I had no idea she had taken a photo of herself with my camera.I used to hate that the kids take my camera when I didn't know but now I love seeing who has been using it and what they did *grin*.

Hey I just realized Carlia is wearing one of my etched, copper nest necklaces:o).

hugs

Annette In Oz