MerryMade Crafts etc ...

Hi everyone, I had wanted to make a Thank You card to send off to the lovely Carol Day who organised all our card classes on our New Zealand cruise.  So I started with the Craftmad April Sketch ( you can find other peoples versions of cards in our Pinterest album here) So I dug out my Graphic 45 paper pack - Off to the Races.  Layered up all the wonderful patterned papers and topped with a Stampin Up stamp which I coloured with my copics.  Finished with a little red bling around the edge of the circle and a sticker Thank You ( Sticker Store ) Thanks for passing on by, off to my hammock now. :-)

A friend from work went on a cruise by herself at Christmas time and came back with a new man in her life.  This lady over the past six months had become disenchanted by her job she had worked for twenty years and found a exciting new work opportunity down at the Gold Coast closer to her new man.  Although everyone will miss her terribly everyone was so glad to see her so happy.  This was the card I made to say goodbye.  The hint of orange is a nod to this ladies indigenous background and she loves purple, the banner I punched hearts from a Gold Coast map. Time to share a couple of presents I was lucky enough to receive for my birthday last month.  This clever idea of a pin cushion attached to a basket which I have been adding rubbish.  In the background if you squint you can see a glass tea cup I received from another friend which has been turned into a pincushion. My son and his girlfriend gave me a hammock something I  have w...

Hi everyone, the last lot of photos from our cruise.  Lucky that I am only sharing the few photos I took on our tablet and not my husbands 600+ on his camera which he is currently editing. :-) The photo above is taken at Akaroa where we anchored so we could visit Christchurch.  Due to the earthquake 6 years ago cruise ships no longer pull into Christchurch so this means a tender and a 1 1/2 hour bus trip to Christchurch but with such beautiful countryside to view even on a cold rainy day who cares.  Although we did not realise that the township of Akaroa would be so pretty and we are keen to visit again one day and check this place out. Taken from the bus, a view back to our ship. Christchurch is stil repairing and rebuilding itself from the earthquakes six years ago.  On one hand it is sad to see such destruction and knowing people have lost lives and employment.  Then on the other hand this has created employment for a huge group of pe...

During the sea days I took myself off to the card making classes held by a wonderful lady named Carol Day who when not cruising runs a little business called 3D Art in Carselkdine near Brisbane Queensland.  Sadly she does not have a website or Facebook page otherwise I would share.  Just for the shear fact the amount of work she put into preparing each kit for us.  We literally had to sit and adhere everything together.   Actually this project above - the bon bon gift holder we had to cut four triangles, which were pre marked, in to the card stock to create the diamonds at the top to enable the bon bon to bend in.  Carol doesn't do a lot of cards when she is ashore with her group of ladies as she concentrates more on papertoles.   Such a simple way to change the card by folding the front back on itself….I really like this design.  Yes, Carol had inked every one of those clouds for us.  Carol had made up 40 kits for every class - 160 cl...

March at Craftmad was all about Spatters and Drips another swap I really enjoyed.  I had two partners for this swap - the reason why there are two cards the same. I googled as I always do and found this artwork  by Popwheel Art I liked so had a go at making it into a card.   Opinions please.  As I add the link to the artwork I saw on google, I am wondering if I have crossed that copyright line?  I have copied it as I loved the image I saw.  I quite often copy something that I google but normally they are cards and there are lots of the same style cards pop up in the search so therefore I feel I am adding to the collection and I always try and link back to the image I found.  This time though it is artwork and someone is trying to sell it. Curious. To create the card I dug out some white card stock and my acrylic paints.  The greens and yellow I splattered with my paintbrush and then daubs of red, yellow and purple for the fl...

Arrival into Auckland Clock tower at University of Auckland Just loved this tree at Albert Park Auckland Our ship Sky Tower Auckland.  My husband did the jump from the top……192m :-0  I calmly sat at the bottom and videoed the experience.  My husband was the talk of the cruise and he got to show off the video to a lot of people….we didn't come across any other crazy person that had done it on the entire cruise. :-) Next stop was Tauranga where we hired a car and drove to Rotorua to spend the day with my old school friend and her husband. My friend and her husband took us for a tour of all the beautiful lakes close to where they live….like literally on their doorsteps.  As we were going around they were saying to each other we should start coming back to these places.  We all do that don't we forget what we have right under our noses. Another lake. And yet another lake, all with extraordinary views. ...