Happy 50th Birthday Jenny - SIL

Now Jenny may not be quite as excited as I am about this card but I did have a fun time making this. I saw a card on Pinterest which led me to this card on Splitcoast Stampers.   Decided to stick with my Stampin Up card stock and papers as I know that it all goes together and takes that little worry away.  The base card is Old Olive and then topped with Very Vanilla.  I then challenged myself to finding 50 different SU patterned papers.  I do not have a huge collection but when they are double sided it did make the challenge easier.  I even missed adding a couple as they were mainly Old Olive colouring and I thought that would be too much.  The lady above had used the colour wheel to arrange all her candles so I did the same.  The candles are 7cm x 1.5 cm, I then hand drew the black wick and panicked a little as I couldn't find a stamp for the flame.  Made my own….. cheshire grin.  :-)  I found a foam shape in my collection that stamped up as a flame…I just added the backing to it so I could attach it to my acrylic block.

The front is computer generated with silver sticker border.

Across the top I have attached multi coloured Happy Birthday stickers.

I hope my SIL forgets in the number and enjoys the special day.

Have a good one everyone.

Happy 16th to my nephew Jed

Today is Jed's 16th birthday which means here in Australia you can sit your Learner Drivers Test, pass then have your parents teach you to drive….in NSW case 120 hours.

So glad I am in QLD and it is only 100 hours.  

So I thought I would go with the yellow and black theme from the Learner Driver plate that has to be shown when they are in the car.  Started with a black base card, then found this patterned paper with cogs on it….very male-ish.  Printed out some 'L' plates on to the yellow card stock.  Print and cut out the 16 and attached to the spellbinder die which I added black dots to the edge.  Finished with a little bit of bling……copper coloured dots coloured with black permanent marker.

Wishing you all a terrific day.

Peaches and Cream - April Craftmad Card Sketch

I enjoying the fact that I have caught up on a few of the sketches that the lovely Kaye posts up for us to try over at Craftmad.  This is the April Craftmad Card Sketch.  I started with a very light apricot colour then layered up gold and cream card stock.  I attached this beautiful 3D Paper Tole I made from the Fruit Paper Tole Pack.  I layered this on top of a white doily which I coloured the edges with a Copic Pen so that it would blend better with the card.  Finished off with some pearl bling.

A side view to see all the layers.

Well that is another week done, now to start thinking about what to do this weekend.  Thanks for visiting and I hope to be back Monday.

It is ANZAC Day here in Australia a public holiday and a day to remember Australians and New Zealanders who have served in war to help keep the peace.

Lest we forget.

Christmas using Craftmad Sketch

Another Christmas card for my small collection.  I used the April Christmas Card sketch over at Craftmad to start this card.   Stampin Up Cherry Cobbler is the base card I then layered up some pretty Stampin up Christmas patterned papers.   I embossed the blue strip, added the silver star sticker strip.  Then cut out and layered up this wonderful 3D paper tole for a small booklet I have.  The card just needed a little something else.  So I stuck a glittery star to some of the blue card stock and cut it out and added it to the bottom corner of the card.

A side view to show all the layers.

Have a wonderful day.

Pink and White Butterflies

This is another card front that I stitched while I had spare time on our cruise.   This Laser Cut card front is from Blue Edge Crafts.  I thought it would all look pretty in Pink.   So started with pink base card, a deeper pink patterned paper then the laser cut card front.  I added some pretty butterfly dies that my friend Helen had cut with her SU Beautiful Wings Embosslits Die.  I then added the 'So Kind' stamp and finished with some pearls and bling.   

I think there needs to be something along that top edge with the darker pink but haven't figured that out yet.  

Thanks for visiting, I hope your Easter has been a good one.  We have had a lovely time catching up with friends, gardening and just generally relaxing.

Tropical Hello

A quick card I made to send to our son.  An old fashion hello in the mail.

Started with a green base card and used this crepe paper that I have had in my stash for years.   It was from a day of Mum and I playing with different techniques like shaving cream  for marbling paper.  Not  sure what we did with crepe paper I am thinking we adding drops of food colouring.  Anyway it made a great background.  I stretched the top and bottom edges to give a slight frill.  Then layered up some blue bazzill bling and this lovely yellow paper.  Discovered this terrific palm tree embellishment and the hello die. 

I am sure our son will appreciate the warmth of the card as he told me yesterday he woke to 12C so winter is on it's way for him. :-)

Good Friday today….wishing you all a wonderful Easter and time with your family.

I plan a little gardening, crafting, hot cross bun and chocolate eating and catching up with friends.

Sunflower Card - March Craftmad Sketch

Blogger now likes me, it/he :-) wouldn't let me upload photos this morning.

This card I made using the Craftmad March Sketch.

I started with a yellow base card then the wonderful yellow patterned paper with the summery wording.   Next I added the leaves - a skeleton leaf I ordered online ages ago and the leaf in front is one my Mum dried years ago.  The gingham is a sticker border from a Stampin Up kit.  The beautiful sunflower 3D topper (three layers) is from Blue Edge Crafts. The bottom section is brown metallic card stock which I added a rub-on about 'celebrate' and finished with some green bling along the edge.

Have a cheery day.

Baby Boy

Firstly, thank you all for your kind comments yesterday, really appreciated. :-)

Today, I would like to share one of the cards I completed while waiting for the cyclone….I had a lovely card making day with five cards completed that I will slowly share with you.  I have had this card front with pre-pricked 'Baby' pattern (from Blue Edge Crafts) for a little bit.  I had gathered a couple together and took them on our cruise because I thought there may a couple of quiet moments to fill.  So stitched on the cruise and layered up on the weekend.  Sorry, the photo is a little blurry, it's just the photographer needs to improve.

Yes, I finally got to put into action the photo tent I received as a birthday gift.  This is our dog just making sure it all okay.  I just love how it all folds down into a carry case.  When I first went to use it one of the lights did not work….I tried different power sockets.  Sent and email off to the seller and they said they would send a voucher for a new bulb.  'Bulb'……duh…. I didn't even think to check the bulb.  So I was all set to swap the bulbs over to check if it was the bulb that was the problem to discover that the bulb in the light that was not working properly was just not inserted properly……easy fix.  :-)  

Be back soon…..have a fun day.

Much dryer now.

We have made it safely through Cyclone Ita.  For us it really was a lot of heavy rain, wind and on occasions big gusts/swirls.  We have a creek that runs beside us and a little bridge that went under a couple of times yesterday but not for long.  This photo shows how much cleaning up we have to do.  The dead palm flower heads mainly.  Although you can't see it in the photo there is a gap in those trees because a tree has fallen and leaning on surrounding trees.  So that will be our biggest task.   

Thank you for all your kind thoughts.  :-)

My thoughts are with the people further up the coast at Cooktown etc.   I hope there is not too much damage and what damage there is I hope it is able to be repaired quickly.

Bit Windy and Wet

Current map here.  http://www.bom.gov.au/cyclone/index.shtml

I think we are in for a wet day today.  Yesterday was a bit hair raising with a Cat 5 cyclone headed in north of us.  Thankfully it was downgraded to a Cat 4 not that is much better.  

I hope that where it crossed there has not been too much damage and no-one injured.  

By the end of last night it was a little of an anti-climax for us as my daughter and I had spent a bit of the morning moving everything loose to our shed so it didn't get blown around. (Just so you know…..I am much happier with the anti-climax than what it could have been, although we still have today to get through).  I bought the last few things like fuel for the mower which we use to pull a trailer around to clean up afterwards and aeroguard as the mozzies were already bad.   Last night we had a bit of gusty wind and heavy sporadic rain.  I actually slept very well.    It is windier today and the rain is much more set in but nothing to worry about.  So shall be interested to see what the day brings  but going by this map….the cyclone should have almost peeted out by the time it reaches us just south of Cairns.  We will just be wet and our freezer will be cleared out as I didn't buy anything for there as the power always goes off.  So just eating what we have.  If nothing else I should get  at least one card made as we really can't do anything. :-)

Have a good weekend.

Champagne Bay, Vanuatu and return to Sydney - Rhapsody of the Seas

Our final place to visit was Champagne Bay, Vanuatu.  Beautiful weather.  We decided to go off on one of the first tenders of the morning so we could snorkel and walk the beach before the sun got to hot.  I burn very easily.  :-)

A tender load of people heading to Champagne Bay.  It wasn't until we were here that I discovered that the tenders were in fact life boats off the ship.  Not sure where I thought these smaller boats came from. :-)

Champagne Bay is the tiny bit of white sand you see in the left of this picture in the cove.

Champagne Bay before the onslaught. :-)  We were so happy that we went over early and found a spot at the south end of the beach under a huge shady tree.  We snorkelled twice, the water temperature was just perfect.  Normally, I take half and hour to get past the belly button but here I just went straight in.  Beautiful fish and coral.  A small market was set up here and a was much more relaxed …the people were not pushy at all.   We only took a small amount of money…. had we realised that they would be cooking up lobsters that could be bought we would have taken and little more.  (approx $30 - $50)  Anyone that had one enjoyed it.  By lunch time we decided that there were too many people on the beach for us so we headed back to the ship.

The end of the day the tenders doing their final runs.

Since I discovered that the life boats were our tenders I was keen to see them come out of the water……and here it is.

Again, we timed it perfectly with the weather because as we were leaving a shower was coming through.

Now for three sea days.  For me, I can handle two sea days no problems the third day I was ready to go ashore somewhere. :-)

Between 5.30am and 6am this was our view.  It was weird waking to silence….no engine noise or vibration.  It was the only time I woke up and wondered where I was.   

Sydney Harbour Bridge

Sydney Opera House

Circular Quay

Sydney Opera House

Sydney Harbour Bridge

We all had to be off the ship early as they had to restock and had guests boarding ready for a cruise up the Queensland coast….yep they were in Cairns the following week.

We had a little time to spare in Sydney and as it was a drizzly rainy day we found the Mordern Arts building which was dry and free.  Although, some of the artwork did not help me with my land legs.  It took me five days to stop rocking like I was on the ship and I found it very hard to concentrate.  Was so tempted to find a ship/boat somewhere so that I could feel normal. :-)

Anyways, this is one of the artworks at the gallery.  Looking from the left you saw this lovely face then…………..

……walk to the right and this is what you saw.  Clever hey.   There were three pieces.

This was just interesting.  It is a full size mannequin in a spiderman suit looking at the weird head off the wall.

I just loved the colours in this collage…..

These were very clever.  A whole room of photos cut in half and matched with other photos or postcards.

We watched this interview being filmed outside of Channel 7.  I can't remember who but he has something to do with soccer. :-)

Well that is the end of our trip, so no more photos.   I bet you are all relieved.  

Now we just have to get through this cyclone (Ita) who is not being very nice.   The rains have just started and by tonight it shall be very windy indeed, going by the forecast.  We have food, water, batteries for torches and radio.  Just need to put a couple things in the shed and then we will be ready to sit through it.  Yes, just a tad nervous as I don't think I have been through one that has come from the north before and this is a monster.

Back soon with some cards.

Luganville Vanuatu - Rhapsody of the Seas

Click on photo for larger view

This stop we were in Luganville - Vanuatu.   Info here ……  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luganville

We had another shore excursion booked here a canoe ride up the Riri River.  I just love the way the locals said canoe…it sort of sounded like kennel.  These people are amazing…as the majority know at least three languages.  The bus driver speaks Bislama which I gather is the local common language, English, French.  He also speaks the language of his fathers family firstly, then the language of his mothers.  Me, only English.

There were three mini buses of us on this ship excursion and we travelled in convoy for about 20mins admiring the scenery.  So many 'Raintrees' along the way and they were huge. 

There are a lot of coconut plantations too.

It was Sunday, so a lot of the locals were walking to friends houses or at friends houses for church.  See the hut near the fence line.

Riri River….so clear and blue.  Just beautiful.  I thought we were canoeing but we were canoed up the river.  We all had don these attractive life jackets.

This is Peter, the guy who kindly canoed us up the river.

I loved being in this rainforest and only saw one mosquito, no marsh flies and no mention of crocodiles.  Beats our rivers. :-)

Showing how clear the water was.

Just a good shot.

The lagoon at the end of the river with two jump ropes ready to go.  Yes, I did jump….. twice and it was great fun.  I think there were a lot of people that jumped that would not have done it at home…..everyone was so encouraging.  Amazing what the holiday spirit does.  Hubby was amazed that my first jump I managed to keep my hair dry. lol.  It's just because I didn't hold high enough on the rope to stop my legs dragging me into the water.  Second jump was better.

This is where we all jumped from….the scariest bit was standing on that tiny piece of wood waiting for the rope.

The second jump rope which I didn't get to try out.

Isn't this photo amazing as the canoe looks like it is floating on air.

After lunch we caught a taxi for a 20 minute drive to Million Dollar Point.  During the winding down of WW2 the Americans bulldozed thousands of trucks, jeeps and equipment into the ocean.  Apparently, a great diving spot.   The view to the left.  This photo shows a lot of rusted pieces of machinery.

The view to the right.

Had to have a view of the ship from our shore venture. :-)

After the taxi ride to Million Dollar Point where we just took photos we asked the taxi driver to take us through town.  Everything was closed as it was Sunday but it was good to see.  Once again there were markets set up near the ship which this time we bought just a couple of small souvenirs.

Leaving Luganville.

The amazing sunset photo for today.

Well thats another day done.  I probably have another two days worth of photos for you.  Thanks for hanging in there and checking them all out. :-)  I am off today to buy a few basic supplies…..if any are left on the shelf as Cyclone Ita is getting a little closer.  I just have this feeling we may be without power over the weekend, hope I am wrong.  Have a great day.