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

"Woodlands Whimsy" painting

I was never sure what my redheaded lady was going to end up looking like.As I painted her she became less sad look and unlike my free spirited Seeking painting in the post below this one seems to me to be Earthy.I've called her woodlands whimsy...or perhaps just Flora.I have hand sewn on shimmery leaves and seed beads around her

She has a dyed trim flower in her hair,blush,eye lashes and her lippie painted on.

Her dress is shades of green with white swirls and its done up with another hand dyed flower trim and some vintage lace that was also hand dyed.

Grant looked at both and asked could he sell them on E-bay LOL....that always tells me he thinks what I have done is OK.I've no idea what to do with them myself.As they are only the second and third painting I have ever attempted I may just keep them as reference guides for future works.Anywho now I have them out of my system its into making Christmas cards en mass for me now.

hugs

Annette In Oz

Seeking...

We are all seeking...life...love...wealth...happiness...knowledge....the list is endless.I'm no different.I seek to be a good loving wife and mum and I seek to live a creative life ...sometimes I just seek completion of a project like my two canvas painted ladies.One is now done and I actually like how she turned out.I wonder what my blonde lady is seeking?.Since you saw her last she has had some "blush" ,eyelashes and lipstick painted on,

a metal vine headband added,

her shimmery wing created and now she is wearing her music dress.

What do you seek?

hugs

Annette In Oz

A Gorgeous Mail Surprise Came Today

Two weeks ago I was chatting to the lovely twins from Sissysparrows (they make yummy Vintage jewellery pieces) about transfer techs and I sent them some sheer heaven paper to play with.In return they have sent me a surprise gift.Its a Vintage style keyring though I think I shall make it into a necklace to wear.I was so surprised but delighted that Julie and Donna had sent me this gift at all as I did not expect them too.Here is the front side.

and the back.I love the wire wrapped beads at the bottom too.

Thank you Julie and Donna :o)

hugs

Annette In Oz

Canvas Ladies Hair and Brows Painted

Its nearly time to do the mad Christmas card make and send.I had one day off today and with the new air con running I was able to sit and paint some more aspects of my canvas ladies.I repainted the redheads hair as I didn't like my first try.I used some Pearl-ex to add shimmer that you can't see in the photos as highlights.My light source is from the right in this painting.

and closer

closer again.

My blonde lady also had her hair painted twice.The first time I went for a dark dirty looking blonde but it seemed to blend into the background too easily.Next I made her a yellowish tinged blonde and that worked better I think.The light source is from the left on this one.

Here she is closer

and closer again.

The eye brows are the hardest thing to paint I think.I keep trying to get them similar till I just leave them be.Our faces are not symmetrical anyway.I'll add depth and "make-up to the face and lips next.

hugs

Annette In Oz

EGGciting Ring & Who Is In The Camera This Week

Ok Ok I can't help it.....I'm addicted to making stuff with metal and in particular etching metal and using nests and eggs LOL.I had my new nest ear-rings on all day and my etched metal nest necklace.Because the ear-rings are made with sterling silver wire they have not hurt like the cheap metals do to me and they are really light as well.I've finally started to paint the hair and brows on my ladies.While the layers were drying I made another sterling silver nest ring to go with the ear-rings.I'm loving this one and have had it on since lunchtime LOL.

Now who was in my camera today?.Its Minty...Well I think she had some help getting dressed to be in there but I laughed when I saw these images.Who would have thought Jack Russel's could look so cool. :o)

I've got the red haired ladies hair and brows done and will do the blond ladies hair and brows tomorrow if I have time before work and then I'll upload both.

hugs

Annette In Oz

The Other Nest Ear-Rings

Darn I forgot to get this last set uploaded.Having trouble with the light now as its night time so I just lay them on the scan bed instead.I'll see if I can get a better shot in the day light tomorrow.These are the ear-rings were I used the butane torch to bead the silver wire,hammer the bead and then drill thru for the hook part to latch into.I was concentrating so hard on the nest shapes I bent the silver a bit but as I'll wear them I don't mind.All a learning curve anyway.

I think I shall plump out the nest more on the one on the left too.
hugs
Annette In Oz