Miss Oddity's Crazy Collection

Zentangles

2011-06-13T11:37:00.005+10:00

I love creating Zentangles. Some work really well like this Tangled Mountain ATC

others are less appealing like this Tangled Floor ATC.

I have recently stumbled across this great Zentangle site called TanglePatterns.com it is full of images and instructions. Just the thing to get your creative juices flowing.

Lighthouses

2011-06-13T11:26:00.004+10:00

There is a lighthouse themed swap on ATC_fun that I thought I'd try - lighthouses can't be that hard can they? Yes, they can. After much playing around I created the following ATC. It is meant to be Point Lonsdale Lighthouse in Victoria, Australia. I tried doing it in pencil first and proved my point that I have a lot to learn about creating with pencils so I switched to copic markers and was much happier with the result.

Creating again ... YAY

2011-06-04T15:18:00.011+10:00

Ok so it has been forever since I updated this blog but now that I am creating again it seems like the right time to jump back on the blogging bandwagon.

I've decided to try and learn to draw - not so hot with pencils, can't seem to blend them very well so have started to use copic markers and LOVE them, bummer they are so expensive.

ATC's are the right size for me as I don't get too stressed by a big blank page/canvas. I have rejoined ATC trading groups and am going to set up a workshop at school for the kids and teachers to make ATC's.

Here are my latest ATC's:

Hand drawn fish ...

Hand drawn frogs ... can you guess which one has the wonky eye?

Hello Hello

2010-01-12T22:57:00.002+11:00

Well uni has finished and I received 3 HD's and 1 D so I'm not to upset about that. Job hunting at the moment and trying to clean up after a year of study. There is crap everywhere and just little clear paths to walk through. Sigh .......

Nothing creative has been done for a while but I did promise that I would start again in 2010 so once I can actually get to my stash I'll be all fired up.

Went to my first Karate class in almost 10 months tonight and I'm exhausted.

Will update this again soon.
Ciao

Worth the hard work

2009-07-10T16:42:00.006+10:00

Today I received my grades for first semester at uni and I am pleased to announce that I received straight HD's (High Distinction) for everything WOO HOO.

It has been a little hectic on the holidays but I have been a little creative. I made these Inchie Cubes for a swap ... I hope Fran likes hers.

I also made a Lady of the Month ATC for Luscious Lucy which she called "extremely interesting" so I''m assuming she liked it ... hahahahahaha

I'm really loving using these colours!

Gotta go and finish cleaning up some crap that has been hanging around way too long. Promise to update again soon.

Catching Up

2009-06-28T09:49:00.002+10:00

Hi all,

This is just a quick update to say hi and that I haven't forgotten about this blog. Life has been crazy hectic of late and hopefully it will settle down a little over the next few weeks and I will have a chance to update this blog properly.

For those who don't know I'm doing a 1 year post grad course at uni to become a primary school teacher. Loving it. It is really full on and has left little time for creating or anything else in my life. Keeping up with the classes, readings, assignments, lesson plans, etc has been taking all my time and what little is left has been spent with my Dear Heart and the Princess.

It is now semester break and I have four weeks where no assignments are due ... YAY ... however I will be doing teaching rounds for a week and a half and spending the rest with my mum and the Princess ... oh and trying to clean the sty ... oops house ... hahahahahaha

Today I'm setting some time aside for being creative ... finally.

Chat soon I promise!

55 Little Houses

2009-03-09T16:33:00.003+11:00

Well I have finally finished my Little Houses for the retreat each of which is about 3x6cm. All are different. Some I am not really happy with but right now I don't want to go near them!

This is the Sisters themed ATC I made for February called Firework Fantasy

Creating like crazy - part 2

2009-02-18T19:35:00.005+11:00

Finished ... well not quite ... had trouble with the Altered Fish theme and that is not due until April so I can try again later. So here are snippets of the last few ATC's for the group ATCsAndMixedMediaArt

Now I need to get on to the little houses due at the Creative Soul Retreat 2009

Creating like crazy

2009-02-13T19:04:00.006+11:00

Well only one more week before I am back at uni and only four weeks until I am away at my long awaited art retreat ... both of these events have my knees knocking. As I don't know how busy I will be during the year I thought I'd get a head start on the ATC's for one of my groups. Of 11 monthly themes I have so far completed 6 sets with another 2 sets on the go. Hopefully I will be finished by next Friday. Here are little snippets of what I have done so far ... can't show the whole lot off as I don't want to spoil the surprise.

2009-01-23T10:40:00.003+11:00

This is the ATC I have made for an Arabian Nights swap on the ArtTechniquesATCs yahoo group.

When I showed my Dear Heart he looked puzzled and said "what has that got to do with the Arabian Nights?!?" Being hormonal I saw red and wanted to kill him even though I know that this ATC is not very Arabic feeling however I returned with "can't you see the belly dancer?" in a how-dumb-are-you-tone. "That's a belly dancer?" came his reply ... death was imminent ... he was only saved by the sweet voice of the Princess asking "Daddy, of course it's a belly dancer, can't you see the coin belt?"

So I suppose an explaination is due as to why my Arabian Nights ATC is far from Arabian. When I think Arabian Nights I think belly dancing, which is something I love doing and only wish I didn't look like a floundering beached whale when I do it! The pattern on the serviette I used reminds me of the beading and coins on a belly dancing coin scarf/belt. The image highlights techniques I wish I was better at ... back bends and floor movements ... as well as the incredible beauty and joy of belly dancing.

The lake is on fire !?!

2009-01-22T15:50:00.003+11:00

Our local lake .... Lake Wendouree ... caught on fire last night!

As you can see from the picture there isn't any water in the lake. It has been mostly dry for a few years now ... gets a little water in winter with the rain but not enough to fill it back up. I must say I am mighty sick of this drought and everything being so dry and dusty ... after 10 years I've had enough. I get fed up with the people who build new houses and immediately landscape their yards ... we are on water restrictions people! Why plant a garden that you aren't allowed to water? I know that weeds and half dead plants don't look that great but I'd rather see them than water hungry non-natives!

Better stop ranting now and go get creative ... ciao

An apple for the teacher

2009-01-21T22:05:00.004+11:00

I have spent the day at the pool with the Princess and Dear Heart and they are both asleep exhausted yet I'm the one who swam laps! At least it gives me some alone time which has been sorely lacking over these school holidays.

Last week was spent at my mum's place catching up with family and having a wonderful time ... swimming, ice-skating, doing jigsaws, hanging out, eating ...

This evening I have been working on ATC's with the theme "Back to school" for the ATCOZ yahoo group. I decided to use the photo of my first day of school and originally had a different colour scheme and embellishments in mind which is why I printed the photo in sepia the other day. Yesterday I purchased these ace blue & white floral serviettes and bingo the whole design changed in my mind as the dress I am wearing is blue and white. I think if I had used a black & white picture the image would have popped more. Unsure if this ATC is finished as yet.

ATC Frenzy

2009-01-08T15:04:00.011+11:00

After a little time feeling creatively uninspired and coming to accept that I am no great artist ... phew ... I have been on an ATC frenzy this last week and been really enjoying just playing again.

I had a little rant on ATCOZ about the use of stickers on ATC's as I personally don't feel that a sticker plonked in the middle of a card is art ... unless of course you are in primary school. This led to one member organising a sticker collage swap and I figured I'd better participate ... boy do I have a lot of stickers in my stash ... I hadn't realised how many until I was preparing for this swap. So all the ATC's in this group are made completely with stickers ....

This ATC was created for a pink themed swap. How could I go past using this beautiful photo of the singer Pink which I altered slightly and then printed on tissue paper. The lace was also painted using Twinking H2O's and the brads embossed with Opals.

Fianally I had fun making a paper ATC quilt for a patchwork themed swap ... so much easier than making a double bed sized quilt from fabric - can't imagine I will ever do that again!

Well that's it for now. I have to sort out my financial woes after watching Oprah today!

Pushup Princess

2009-01-08T10:39:00.002+11:00

You could be forgiven for thinking that title refers to pushup bras! I must admit that I do love them considering the girls have been heading south for a very long time now and I prefer a bit of cleavage no matter how fake it is. Alas no ... it is not the over the shoulder boulder holder that I am learning to master but the real bum up face to the floor physical execise. Yes I have been doing pushups and I am so proud of myself! I started out doing one pushup and it was so painful I could have cried ... and I can't do the traditional "boy" pushup yet, maybe that will come when I am stronger. I am now up to five pushups a day and pushup one and two are fairly easy and by five my arms ache. That's right five! I suppose you thought with all my bragging that I was doing way more than that however I have learnt slow and steady wins the race.

Oh well now I'm off to the laundromat as my stupid washing machine is broken again!

Inspired by ... Connie

2009-01-03T12:17:00.005+11:00

I participated in the 2008 Technique Fat Book on the "arttechniques" yahoo group and after receiving 120 technique pages I was looking for a way to store/display them. I was inspired by Connie who posted a way of binding them on her blog and here is what I came up with ...

This is the cover:

Inside the technique pages have been bound into four small books:

Each of these small books can be removed from the base of my 2008 Technique Fat Book for ease of use when referring to a particular technique. The back cover of each of the small books slides into a slot between the lining and base of my 2008 Technique Fat Book.

Thanks Connie for the inspiration.

Tagged by Lucy

2009-01-03T11:59:00.002+11:00

Some time ago I was tagged by Lucy and I am now trying to remedy my slackness by addressing this. Problem is I can't think of six blogs to tag to so that may have to come later as Lucy has already tagged some of the blogs I would have tagged ... hmmmmm

The rules are:

Link to the person who tagged you (link above)
Mention the rules (well here they are!)
Tell six quirky yet boring, unspectacular details about yourself (well that cuts out my lion story ... sigh)
Tag six other bloggers by linking to them (still to do)
Go to each person's blog and leave a comment that lets then know they've been tagged (obviously this is still to do)

Here are my six quirky yet boring, unspectacular details about myself:

I don't have any pets
I'm into family history
I'm easily distracted
I don't like ice cream
I love sunday morning sleep-ins
I'm naturally very messy

Here are the six bloggers I'm tagging: (coming soonish)

Inspired by .... Laura Ryan

2009-01-02T09:49:00.003+11:00

I love getting the Cloth Paper Scissors magazine as I find many of the projects inspiring. Here is one project I have actually finished. In Issue 16 Jan/Feb 2008 on page 28 Laura Ryan shows how she turned an old pair of overalls into an art apron name tag with heaps of pockets.

WOW I so wanted to do that! However I didn't have any overalls ... never fear we have plenty of op shops in town ... pity none of them had overalls. A few months later on another op shop foray I found a pair of maternity overall/shorts - perfect.

With scissors, sewing machine, brushes and bleach I was ready to go. Word of warning - use bleach in a very ventilated space AND bleach eats away at your brush bristles so use cheap brushes. Below is a picture of my art apron. I love the fact that I can add embellishments to it over time so it is an evolving object. It was far easier to make than I expected and I'm really happy with the result.

Happy New Year

2009-01-01T11:38:00.003+11:00

Oh my it has been some time since my last update and here is another one with no pictures attached. I will remedy that in a few days and start providing some art updates ... a catch up on 2008 before I start creating in 2009.

What I really wanted to do here today is to list my goals for 2009 which is shaping up to be a very busy year for me so I am trying to keep these goals simple.

Complete the Graduate Diploma of Teaching (Primary) at the University of Ballarat
Grade to my green belt in karate
Improve my flexibility and core strength
Improve my contact with family and friends
Create beautiful things
Remain positive and happy

I wish everyone a safe and happy new year and am sending out cyber love and hugs to you all!

Living a positive life!

2008-10-20T13:24:00.004+11:00

I have made a decision to actively live a positive life. I'm not particularly negative however I had a light bulb moment when it became clear to me that there is a difference between not being negative and actively living a positive life. I feel almost evangelical about it ... don't panic ... I'm still not a god botherer.

Has actively living a positive life changed things for me? Has my life improved? Am I happier? The answer to these questions is a resounding yes!

This is not an easy path I have chosen ... some days it is a real challenge to embrace a positive attitude ... but already I can see the improvements and these inspire me to continue on.

So what has changed? Basically the way I look at things has changed.

Take housework for example. For years I have resented being the only one attempting to clean so I just didn't do it and anyway cleaning always got in the way of the things I wanted to do. Over the last few years FlyLady has been teaching me to look at housework in a different light and not to think I could do it all at once however the lesson I could never grasp was that cleaning was a way of blessing my family. Now blessing sounds too much like god bothering to me and not a concept I felt comfortable with. Since leaving work I have daily been cleaning the house but only in the mornings and only in managable amounts, this way I don't get over tired, frustrated or negative about it. It took just over a week to clean the kitchen this way and the op shop received a vast array of kitchen things that were just cluttering up my house. My house is starting to sparkle ... my mum is impressed ... and I feel lighter with each area cleaned and decluttered. I no longer feel resentful and have come to understand that cleaning is a gift I am giving to myself and my family and I finally understand that is what FlyLady has been talking about with her blessings. Dear Hear and the Princess are happier and have actually started to help me with the cleaning without me having to nag or complain because the sparkle of the house is rubbing off on them too. So I have gone from a resentful cleaner to a happy, positive and joyous Domestic Goddess and it feels great!

Actively living a positive life has also made me happier in my relationship. I now focus on all the wonderful things that combine to make up my Dear Heart rather than getting bogged down in something that pisses me off. That is not to say I don't get pissed off rather it means that I can overcome those feelings quicker and don't hold on to them so that they can't continue to poison our relationship. Dear Heart is feeling the benefits of this and is responding in a likewise positive manner. The Princess is also blossoming with the increased calm and love flowing around here.

Actively living a positive life has meant my physical health is on the improve as well. I have taken up riding my deadly treadly again and I'm not struggling as badly and have learnt to embrace the burn in my thighs and the soreness in my bum.

When I started karate it was because we went as a family and I was really just trailing behind the other two. I didn't really take it seriously and I never expected to be any good. In the last few weeks I have become focused on what I want to achieve and have made an effort in each class to do my best and it is amazing the difference that makes. I'm hoping to grade to my next belt in November and have even set my sights on the belt beyond that. Now that is a definate change!

I have taken up belly dancing again and I love it sooooooo much. It makes me feel womanly and sensual. I am really happy when I dance. On Saturday night I went to a Belly Dance Bazaar with the Princess. We have both been inspired to practice hard so that we can perform next year. When I perform I expect you to come watch and support me and be blown away by just how gorgeous I am ... hahahahahahaha

Mentally I feel great. Relaxed. Young. I am sleeping better and wake up eager to start my day. I am going to continue this journey of actively living a positive life because the benefits are boundless. I'm off to stretch and work out what I need for my application to go back to uni next year. Ciao. Talk soon

It's hard to post an update with a 7yo singing musical songs ...

2008-09-11T19:30:00.004+10:00

aaaarrrrrgggggghhhhhhhh!!!!!!!! I do love my Princess very much and yet I sometimes wonder where her "off" switch is ... she does like to be the centre of attention. Does that come from being a "lonely only"? Actually she is waiting to call her best friend but my mobile is in the car and Dear Heart has the car so we have to wait for him to get home and like most 7 year olds she really isn't into waiting.

She is happy as she has finally lost her two front teeth ... just don't call her gappy!

Last night I went belly dancing for the first time in months and had a great time ... I love belly dancing ... when I got home I found this note:

For those of you who can't read 7yo it says "In playroom not coming out because mum wrecked my thingy." Even though I laughed (not in front of her) I am very impressed with this note and I'll explain why but first let me give you some background.

The Princess has some anger and emotional issues and at times gets incredibly distraught and usually I cop the brunt of her melt downs. She also likes to conduct experiments in the bathroom making potions etc. I am currently working hard at cleaning the house and this week it has been the bathroom. Last week she set up some leaves in a bottle with powder and goodness knows what else and left a note asking us not to "rec" it. This week on my cleaning frenzy I moved the experiment from the bathroom to the bin. It took her a few days to realise what I had done and rather than have a melt down she wrote the note and lay down in her playroom for a while. She was over her anger by the time I got home.

I am impressed with this because writing a note about how she feels is one of the ways we have been trying to get her to deal with issues. Best thing ... I didn't get screamed at for 45 mins! A break through I'd say. Yay!

I'll try posting another update when I have some alone time. hahahahahahaha

Soul Journal - Door

2008-09-05T13:28:00.003+10:00

The final prompt from Sarah Whitmire was to create a door. I really struggled with this prompt as I just couldn't think what to do. I didn't want to create a door that was closing off a part of my life nor did I want to create a door that was opening up to something new as I'm pretty happy with where I am at the moment. Then last night as I drifted off to sleep it hit me ... just make a door! So that is what I have done. I suppose you could consider it as the door between the first part of my soul journal adventure leading into my ongoing soul journal experience. I will be continuing the journey with the weekly prompts on the Soul Journal yahoo group and also those on the Art Techniques yahoo group as well as those I glean from other blogs etc.

So here is my door

The Murder of Misty and other gruesome tales

2008-08-31T10:28:00.010+10:00

Until I sat down to write this update I had been thinking that I have been incredibly slack these last few weeks as I felt I had not done much more than read and sleep. How wrong I have been! Firstly I quit my job ... yay for me! I am sooooo much happier although paying the bills will be a little harder we survive these challenges. Dear Heart and the Princess have been happier too.

To say I'm a bit messy would be an understatement ... I just seem to have better things to do than cleaning a house. Now that I don't have to haul myself into work each day I have vowed to get this place clean ... I started on the kitchen last week and it is now beautiful and sparkling clean ... sent heaps of stuff to the op shop ... cleaned out every cupboard ... wiped down shelves etc ... now I just have to spread that out to the rest of the house ... hahahahaha ... the laundry is next as the most amazing amount of crap gets shoved in there.

And in amongst being the domestic goddess I am I have actually been making ATC's and trying my hand at inchies and a pendant ... the pendant was a dismal failure so that can be relegated to the rubbish bin with no hard feelings. Inchies are stupidly small ... 1" x 1" squares ... and I haven't finished so no pictures yet. However I will show you some of my ATC's.

The yahoo group arttechniquesatcs runs an Artist of the Month (AOM) swap. This month the artist is Misty Mawn whom I admire very much and must apologise to her profusely for "murdering" her style. Here are my attempts for this swap:

The yahoo group ATCOZ is running a bear swap. This will be my first swap with this group and I am a little nervous ... I hope they like these bears. I have been carrying around this bear magazine for about 15+ years because it is just so odd ... like a VOGUE but for bears .. with fashion tips, horoscopes, Dear Abby, etc ... very cute. I transfered the images using Opals and I'm really happy with how they turned out.

I broke my needle felting needles last week so haven't been able to play with those ... boo hoo ... and looking for something else to try I was inspired by Ruby & Lay Hoon to try Zentangles. Here are some of my efforts.

So that is it for now ... I have to go be Mum and wife now ... ciao

Soul Journal - Misfits and Finger painting

2008-08-19T10:03:00.005+10:00

Well the main part of our journey with Sarah on our Soul Journal is coming to a close. The last of our formal prompts have been given and my results are below. Sarah is letting us soar free to continue our journey in our own way ... my knees a knocking! Actually it is funny that at the start of our journey I would fly through the prompts and eagerly await the next step and loved the homework teasers as they built up the excitement as I wondered what was to come next. However, these last three pages have taken me days to complete ... I've taken my time, not hurried things along by using my heat gun etc. I'd like to think I was savouring the journey but no ... I was actually just trying to delay reaching the end! I feel a sense of loss BUT I also feel really pleased with what i have achieved throughout this journey. I have learnt so much and am thankful to Sarah for her enthusiasm, creativity and support. I intend to keep working in my Soul Journal and look forward to where the journey takes me.

So here are the last 3 pages.

In this first page we had to make a collage from photocopies of Soul Journal pages we had already made ... it was interesting to look at sections of one page and see how they could be used to create something new. I enjoyed doing this page.

This second page of MISFITS is one of my favourites and a technique I will use over and over again.

And finally a finger painted self portrait. I don't like it! It was hard to do the details ... I don't think I really look like that ... I felt uncomfortable creating this page ... I can't do faces! ... I'm crap at painting ... arrrggghhhh. However the wonderful thing I have learnt on this journey is that I can change this page - so I plan to come back to it one day when I feel more confident and reassess it ... decide then whether I will accept it and move on OR change it in some way ... it is my art and my choice! Thank you Sarah for teaching me this.

Needle Felting 101

2008-08-15T11:33:00.003+10:00

I have tried my hand at needle felting lately and really enjoy it. Hopefully if I keep practising I'll improve and learn a more subtle way to blend things together. So here are my first attempts and they are being sent off for a swap ... except the fish ... that one went to Mary as her Lady of the Month pressie. Mary makes great needle felting ATC's!

Soul Journal - Collage Potpourri

2008-08-08T16:33:00.006+10:00

This week I have been catching up on Soul Journal playing and trying to finish off other odd jobs as well. This week I clearly see what a mess I live in ... hmmm some decluttering is required and I'm not just talking about my house!

So here are my Collage Potpourri pages ...

When reading catalogues and magazines I have now started looking for interesting shapes because I like this magazine silhouette technique ... thanks Sarah.

My Dear Heart thinks this one reflects exactly what my last few weeks have been like! I really enjoyed painting with a plastic fork ... great for texture.

Now this page I am happy with and feel it is complete. I'll be heading back to the Collage Potpourri lists again to do other projects.

And finally we had to go back to our taped pages and alter them. I really liked my taped page and wish I had ignored this bit of homework. This is what I have done so far and I am not happy with it and will come back to it at a later stage.

Over the weekend I am going to try and catch up with my fellow Soul Journallers blogs as it has been a while since I popped in on them.

Shattered & Lost

2008-08-05T15:49:00.004+10:00

Firstly I want to say thank you to everyone for their kind thoughts and words during this sad time for my family ... I appreciate the warmth more than you could possibly imagine.

I feel shattered and lost and an overwhelming sense of sadness. Last week I wanted to take care of everyone else. This week I just want to be alone to curl up with my sorrow, to cry the flood of tears that threatens to drown me. I realise I don't see my family enough ... don't tell them how much I love them or how wonderful they are.

I feel frustrated by aspects of my life that don't fulfill me eg my job but I don't know what to do to change these things and my brain feels too fuzzy to work it all out.

Thanks again everyone

Soul Journal - Home Sweet Home

2008-07-27T18:03:00.004+10:00

I'm glad that the task of the last few days has been based around our home and our family as we have been very family focused here. On Thursday my Princess received an academic achievement award for her work in first semseter and on Friday it was my Dear Heart's birthday so on Thursday night we went out to dinner to celebrate ... love doing that! On Friday, after being dragged to karate where the floor is freezing!, we had cake and opened pressies. There is something beautiful about giving a pressie that means so much to someone you love that they cry. Yesterday we spent the day in Geelong watching a karate tournament ... incredibly amazing and incredibly cold. Today I got to play again. YAY!

After drawing our houses we had to collage over some of the drawing ... hahahaha I just couldn't stop!

Sarah has shown me that I don't have to panic about perfection. I didn't worry about what I put down on the paper because I knew that this was not going to be the finished product. I felt free to try different scraps, covering up one layer with another scrap if I wasn't happy. There was no negative self talk while doing this task just lots of fun.

OMG! Whilst writing this I have received the most tragic news. My beautiful 21 yo nephew Russell took his life today. I have spent the last hour on the phone talking to my mum and brothers and sisters. I will be offline for a while as I will be heading down to be with my family tomorrow.

I can't write anymore so I'll post the pictures of my painted page and my family.

Soul Journal - My House

2008-07-23T15:54:00.007+10:00

We revisited our magazine squares or inchies pages and I am so glad we did as I felt it was looking a little naked or undone .... here it is all prettied up:

I also found this postcard at the Princess's school yesterday and thought it related to our soul armour and maybe even our houses we are now working on.

And finally here is my house. It has wonky walls because we had crap builders and it really does have wonky bits to it!

Soul Journal - Cover Up

2008-07-21T12:03:00.002+10:00

I didn't want to cover up my tape! However once I started I enjoyed the process ... I do like sanding.

I have to find a flower to press in my journal ... after 10 years of drought and being the middle of winter I have no flowers in my garden and I've peeked into the neighbours gardens and there are none there either ... boo hoo. But looking on the bright side I'm now off to buy a bunch of flowers ... oh beautiful brightness to banish the winter gloom.

Shock, gasp, horror ... I have been doing actual cleaning today in between reading blogs and sanding my tape pages ... hahahaha. Actually I'm really enjoying visiting my fellow Soul Journal bloggers and getting to know them better ... they are a generous, funny, inspirational, creative, amazing people ... I'm glad I am taking this journey with them.

Soul Journal - Having way too much fun

2008-07-20T11:30:00.006+10:00

I must say I am having so much fun with this journal and the last two tasks have been relatively easy peasy ... ok I exaggerate ... they were a little provoking. I started going through some magazines and catalogues for the images listed by Sarah but left it too late into the evening when I was tired and the Princess kept taking everything and showing me all the things she wants ... needless to say bed time was enforced on both of us that night. After a good rest picking the images really was easy peasy and here is the result.

Today I had to journal with the prompt "I forgot to tell you ..." I really appreciated this task because it allowed me to deal with an issue that has been bothering me and be honest about it and how I feel and helped clarify what I plan to do about it. Thank you Sarah for this task. The fun part was knowing that it would be completely covered in tape so no one but me will ever know what is under there. Until I did a search of the house I never knew we had so many different types of tape in the house ... Dear Heart had a stash in the garage that I raided ... he is far neater than I so his tapes were easy to find ... what they are used for I'll never know but they have now been appropriated for ART ... YAY! hahahaha

I have always been a little hesitant to journal honestly for fear that someone else may accidently or purposefully read what I have written and use it against me. Through these tasks I am learning that I don't need to be so concerned because I can always alter it into something else. This has been a very liberating lesson to learn!

At the back of my Soul Journal I have created a section called "Thankful". This is something I recall from an Oprah show ... at least I think it was Oprah. Every day I will write down at least 3 things I have been thankful for that day and I will do this even on the worst days ... I suppose it is like looking for the silver lining ... some days it will be easy and other days it will be hard however I think looking for the positive each day will increase my ability to cope with what life throws at me.

And now I am going to go work on some technique pages for the FAT book while I pretend to do housework. Later on I am going to spend some time on all the other Soul Journaler's blogs. I'd recommend you go have a look too.

My Armour has chinks

2008-07-17T09:44:00.004+10:00

Last night I was so excited by my soul armour that I couldn't wait to have "show & tell" with my Dear Heart and he was appropriately impressed! Gleaming with pride and feeling light as a feather until he piped up with "you know you've made a spelling mistake ..."

POP ... deflated, hurt and resentful.

We had a bit of a tiff.

While trying to go to sleep I mulled over this issue and know that it is not what Dear Heart said but my reaction to it that is the problem. My self confidence is a fragile thing and any time I perceive a threat to it a monster rears its ugly head and attacks ... it is horrible and does nothing to increase my confidence or improve my relationship.

I now all the theory about changing the negative talk that goes on in my head ... replacing it with positive affirmations etc., but in practice I never seem to actually achieve this. I make a start but quickly fall back into bad habits and it is so easy to blame outside influences for the regression rather than admit that I have become too comfortable with these negative thoughts and feelings ... too afraid to let them go.

What am I afraid of !?! Why, when I know what must be done, can I not leap ahead and value myself?

Ahhhh ... so this is what my armour is for? To make me look honestly at the things that keep me following a path that traps me in self destruction. To help me recognise those things that I already have and what I may need to set me on the path to attain self confidence and freedom to be me without fear. To protect me from myself as well as from others.

The first step is the hardest and the journey has begun.

Soul Armour

2008-07-16T19:17:00.003+10:00

Today's task was to create our Soul Armour. This was lots of fun and the Princess kept coming to look at it and give me great big kisses and telling me how wonderful it was and how special I am. She is such a caring little thing and I love her like crazy!

Before you ask ... no I'm not the little girl used for the head ... the image is from an old photo of my Aunt Margaret.

Butterflies

2008-07-16T19:11:00.004+10:00

Completed my butterfly ATC's for the July challenge on ArtTechniquesATCs. Here they are:

Soul Journal - Staking my claim

2008-07-15T12:36:00.003+10:00

Day 2 of the Soul Journal adventure ....

This is the book I am altering to use as this journal - hopefully it will stand up to the test.

Below is todays excercise ... to name our journals as our own. You'd be surprised how difficult I found it to write my name over and over again ... as though I was being selfish or self centered ... but I got there in the end. Silly I know!

I used rub-ons, textas (thanks Princess), watercolour pencils, black sharpie and white gel pen.

I'm looking forward to the next task.

Soul Journal

2008-07-14T23:34:00.003+10:00

Sarah Whitmire is posting on her blog http://sarahwhitmire.blogspot.com/ step by step details on how to create a mixed media journal and will be providing daily prompts to keep you going. I've wanted to alter a book for a long time and anything that helps me on my creative journey with baby steps is a bonus. Thanks Sarah! Here is part of my day one efforts ...

I think I need another holiday ...

2008-07-13T14:48:00.012+10:00

I have just had the most hectic few weeks with my Princess due to the school holidays. During the first week we stayed at home and had lots of play dates with her friends. I had an art date with Holly, Julianne and Megan that was a lot of fun ... gossip, paint and a wonderful butter banana cake ... yum! During this date I finished some Jumbo Playing Cards for a swap. This one is called "6 Degrees of Seperation"

I have also been trying to do dry needle felting and failing due to the lack of having wool felt only the crappy synthetic stuff. After discussing my frustrations with those wiser than me I have taken the plunge and ordered some 100% wool felt off ebay so that I can give it another try.

Another swap I am playing in at the moment has been a Mini Album and I have been trying out a variety of techniques ... some more successfully than others and again those wiser than me have helped me to learn where I may have gone wrong. Here are the pictures of my front cover and one of the pages I have created to swap out.

During the second week the Princess and I travelled down to Melbourne to visit family (which was ace!) and also to spend some time at The Castle creating with My Queen, Princess Moo and the fabulous Lucy. I enjoyed meeting Lucy in person for the first time! They taught me a Misty Mawn technique. I found this interesting even though I'm not 100% happy with the outcome which means I'll just have to keep practicing (hahahaha). Here is my first effort ...

Princess Moo taught me how to create a background (above) using paints and Windex ... now that was fun. Lastly I had a try at using beeswax ... smells wonderful and I like the translucent quality it gives the images. These two ATC's are called "Be Original" and "Visitors Permit".

And finally the ATC below is called "Lizzie Loves to Bowl" and was created for a Postage Stamp People swap. Her legs slide back up inside the ATC. I had a lot of fun making her. Princess Ruby enjoyed making her dance.

Now I think I need another holiday

Colour My World

2008-06-23T20:14:00.006+10:00

The yahoo group ArtTechniquesATCs is holding a monthly colour swap. I participated in the blue swap and should be receiving my trades soonish. Since then there has been a red and a yellow swap. I have made cards based on these colours but have not officially joined in the swaps. For each I have tried to only use the colour specified - which isn't always easy!

Broken Hearted was created for the red theme (obviously) and uses the nail polish technique to create the heart.

I think of yellow as being a very happy colour and thus Happiness in Bloom was created for this theme.

Lazy Long Weekend

2008-06-08T16:19:00.002+10:00

Another lazy Sunday update. The Princess graded to her orange belt in Karate this morning so I'm making my next elephant ATC with orange in it to celebrate. Very proud of her we are. Received 2 more sets of elephant ATC's this week - one from Finland and one from Northern Ireland. Love both sets ... hosting a swap is so much fun.

I've moved out of the very messy Secret Room and taken over the kitchen table so I can create while having my foot up and still see the TV and be part of my little families hustle and bustle. Haven't really done a lot but having fun all the same.

No pictures this week.
Ciao

A pinch and a punch

2008-06-01T19:18:00.005+10:00

First day of the month. First day of winter too. It has been an eventful few weeks here - on top of all the usual guff I have been making elephants, I sprained my ankle and we went to the Melbourne Zoo.

I don't know how I sprained my ankle but boy it hurts. The doctor tells me it will be at least a month before it feels better. I try to keep off it as much as possible but it aches at night and gets icy cold deep inside. aaarrrgghhhh

The Melbourne Zoo is a wonderful place and they are constantly upgrading the exhibits - such an amazing wonderland for two young princesses and their not so young escorts. I had a great time finding inspiration for my Elephant ATC's.

I'm hosting an Elephant ATC swap for the yahoo group artisttradingcards and am excited to say that there are 18 players made up of peple from Australia, the UK, the USA and Finland. I can't wait to see what everyone comes up with. Below are some of the ATC's I have made for this swap:

Dust Storm; Ruby; Lucky; Lasting Love; Family Tree and Elephant Dancing @41

blah blah blah

2008-05-18T19:13:00.003+10:00

I am making the effort to write today purely so I don't fall back into the habit of not updating the blog. Haven't been well the last few days ... sickly child aren't I? I'm cold and feel dirty and could really go a coke right now ... oh and some chocolate too. Had a really lovely week catching up with Annie, cooking meals, chatting, drinking wine and laughing ... boy she makes me laugh. I've made some birthday cards for members of my team at work and been creating ATC's which I haven't scanned yet. Dear Heart has been working a lot lately and I miss him ... shock!

Contemplated whether I would try and start up a family day care here and then rejected the idea. This is my little family's haven and I can't spoil that. All the things I would have to put away to baby proof the house again is enough to make me reject the idea ... I love having my elephants and nic nacs out again after they went into hibernation when the Princess was tiny. At the moment I look after a boy of 5 and a girl of 2.5 on Thursday evenings and after the "poo" disaster this week (walls, clothes, toilet seat ...) I don't think I could go through the whole potty training experience again. The Princess was a nudist and pretty much trained herself so I had it easy.

So the search for meaning or at least a career is still on.
Ciao for now

Mistaken Identity

2008-05-10T15:18:00.003+10:00

I spent a night tossing and turning because I was trying to work out what I would make for an ATC challenge with the theme "Brown, Pink and White". Finally I knew what I would do when I remembered I still had these pink heart faux seals and was really happy with the result until I went to upload the picture to the challenge photo folder and realised it was actually meant to be a "Black, Pink and White" theme. AARRRGGGHHH!!! Luckily I had to send off a Lady Of The Month ATC to Deb so this one is winging it's way to her - not her favourite colours but I hope she doesn't mind.

So back to the drawing board to make the correct ATC for the challenge. Decided to go with the same sort of design and the card below is the final result. Not 100% happy with it but enjoyed the challenge anyway. This one is called Daisy Dreams.

dem fishes got da blues

2008-05-10T15:12:00.003+10:00

I had fun making this ATC for a Blue themed swap. I painted the background with watercolours then handstitched in four different shades of blue for texture and with all that blue I just had to add the fish - stamped in blue ink of course. To finish off I covered the whole card with 3 layers of clear embossing which I cracked after it cooled and rubbed blue ink into the cracks. I'm really pleased with this one.

Fanny's First Ride and Fanny Falls

2008-05-10T15:07:00.002+10:00

These two ATC's were made for a Transportation themed swap. I couldn't resist when I saw these images - 1901 porn is really quite funny and so tame compared with what is published these days.

Avoiding the housework ... again

2008-05-10T14:45:00.004+10:00

Hey Hey! I should be doing housework as I have an old friend coming to stay tonight - however being an old friend I figure she will cope with the state of the house. Annie is lovely and she makes me laugh!

My brain is finally back on track and I have been consistently going to work and not hating it :-o

But that does mean less time for making things. I'm really loving embossing powders at the moment - I purchased some Opals at Paperific a few years ago and haven't done much with them until now ... felt they were to pretty to waste which is crazy I know so now I am thinking they are too pretty not to use and just having some fun.

So bye for now as I am off to make something else (hahahahaha)

Twins

2008-04-27T17:17:00.002+10:00

I told you I couldn't give her away so I had to make her twin this week. She is just a little different than her sister - I couldn't dress them exactly the same now could I? She is all packaged up in an envelope and will go winging her way to My Queen tomorrow.

Have I ever mentioned that My Queen is an incredibly amazing and creative woman? Take it from me she is!

I have had the laziest day today ... Princess Ruby and I have spent the day snuggled up reading the first Harry Potter book ... she has been my Saturday night date for the last four weeks while watching the movies on TV - I only fell asleep once (blush). And now she is in the bath and Dear Heart is cooking dinner - if only I didn't have to do any ironing I'd be in heaven.

I have completed my Stamped Image and my Postage People ATC's however I won't be giving a sneak peak of these because they aren't due to be swapped out until May and June respectively and I wouldn't want My Queen to behead me! The next theme is something arty and I am struggling with that. A theme for another group (mostly located in the USA) is "Woman in the Moon" and I've had an idea for that so may work on that this week and leave the arty theme for later. Also pondering on how to alter some ATC's I made that I'm not totally happy with ... hmmmmm.

And my final comment - what on earth am I going to do with my life? Feel so adrift and lost at the moment.

Magnet Mayhem

2008-04-20T15:40:00.002+10:00

I've been very slack work wise this week so have had a lot of time to play in my not-so-secret-room. Mental health has been a bit wonky ... doing ok now I think.

This lovely lady was created for a "magnet swap" due next month - I like her soooo much that I'm not sure I want to give her away. I may have to make her a twin or come up with another idea all together.

Sometimes the ideas flow and everything comes together beautifully ... a lot of the time I struggle and am not always happy with the end result. If asked I usually comment that I make stuff however my Dear Heart has started to correct me ... I don't make stuff I create art! Knew there was a reason I loved him.

Back to work tomorrow so off to do some more creating before then ... oh and I need to look up postage people on google.

Ciao

Finally an update!

2008-04-13T15:35:00.007+10:00

It has been 6 months since my last posting ... why? ... I'm slack. It really is that simple. I'm not going to bore you with a rundown of what has been happening in the last 6 months ... wiping the slate clean and starting again from here.

Lately I have been doing some Altered Art swaps as well as the usual ATC swaps that I love. I get really nervous when I do these because I do not feel very confident about most things ... especially creating something for someone else.

Will there ever come a time when I actually feel like a grown up?

So here are some pics of what I have made:

Little Houses ... these are lots of fun to make

Altered Keys ... pics show both sides

and finally a canvas I finished last week that I love and am a little spewing that I have to send it away to someone else ... Lucky Fran I say! So Ruby and I are having a workshop today where I am teaching her how to create the background and then she will make her own mermaid and I will make another one to keep.

I'm really enjoying creating things and learning so much along the way.

Still not enjoying housework ... sigh

Twisted Tampons and other tales

2007-09-02T23:21:00.000+10:00

Hmmmmmm ... almost a month since my last update here. Will try to be more regular although I do have a hectic life (hehehehe) so bugger it, I will just post when I can.

Weight: Since I last weighed in (before the ball) I have not lost any more weight however I haven't gained any either. I haven't been so strict about my diet or exercise however I have been feeling heaps better than I used to and try to do something active every day. For example in the last week I have:

Monday - Bellyfunk
Tuesday - Karate
Wednesday - Treadmill
Thursday - housework
Friday - Karate
Saturday - Gardening
Sunday - Gardening

Karate: On Friday I received my yellow tips. This doesn't mean I can actually do anything right in class ... it is just to encourage me to come back.

Photos: Mum's photos ... I have been trying to scan, sort and date these for ages now. I have set myself a goal of doing at least 25 per day and hopefully this should get me finished by Xmas.

Housework: Don't fall off your chair but I have actually been doing housework! I have been doing a little bit each day and then trying to maintain what I have done and expand out even further. I don't think it will ever be like a Home Beautiful house but I hope that one day everything will have a place and I will no longer just be moving things around in an attempt to make it look like I have achieved something. Maybe I need to stop hoarding things?

Making Stuff: I have been able to have some fun working on ATC's and hanging out with Di trying out new products and techniques.

Twisted Tampons: Planned on having a big rant here but am way too tired so going to bed.

Ciao

Hopeless Romantic

2007-08-04T20:28:00.000+10:00

Friday 27th June Dear Heart and I went to the ball and had a wonderful time. Must have been a little drunk because I happily and voluntarily got up and danced. Lost my necklace which was a bit of a bummer.

Decided to pin curl my hair for the ball and this picture is of my hair half uncurled before making a mad dash for the bus. We went to the ball in style (hahahaha). Dear Heart and I spent the trip trying to undo curls and get my hair into some semblance of order. All done minutes before we jumped off the bus at the ball.

I have been in such a great mood that it was a big surprise when I crashed this week. Dear Heart and The Princess have had the flu and I think I got a little of that and a little of the blues. Only ended up working 2 days this week. Spent most of Thursday in bed crying. Crazy I know. I am now on the improve and can face life and its challenges head on.

I have come to the conclusion that one of my problems is that I am a hopeless romantic and well sometimes reality doesn't shape up the way I would like it to. Then it thuds home that I am one of the luckiest girls in the world and romance isn't hearts and flowers and all that mushy stuff that the first flush of love and lust provide.

Romance is letting me sleep late on a Sunday or remembering to tape my favourite TV show. It is the timely touch or the smile at a secret joke that has been shared for nearly a decade. Romance is seeing me at my worst and still having the courage to stand by me. Romance is what I have every day of my life. Soon I will crawl into bed and lie beside my Dear Heart ... he will roll over, snuggle up to me, throw an arm over me, kiss me and fall peacefully asleep. Safe, secure and loved. Happy romantic me.

Lazy Sunday

2007-07-22T22:28:00.001+10:00

I love nothing better than a lazy Sunday and that is exactly what I have had today. No exercise, no housework and no worries.

Just a quick round up of the week as I am tired and want to go to bed.

Belly Funk - learning sexy walk and bum pop ... unfortunately I look like an hilarious floundering whale ... not sooooo sexy!
Good Deed of the Week - drove a stranded motorbike boy to the airport so he wouldn't miss his flight to King Island.
Karate - I am not very coordinated and spent most of the class laughing and 3 steps behind everyone else.
Reading - Me and Mr Darcy by Alexandra Potter
ATC's - Finished N103 in my Nudes series (pictured far right), completed some for a forum swap themed "homemade embellishment" and finished another called Triangular Man (pictured)
Weight Loss - nil ... hot chips and chocolate called to me this week and I indulged them. Really need to stay focused this week and exercise more.

The Sex Talk .... aaaarrrggghhhhhh

2007-07-15T19:09:00.000+10:00

Who would have thought I would have to have "the sex talk" when Princess Ruby is only 6!

After the ultrasound that confirmed the we were indeed having a Princess, Dear Heart was jubilent because he wouldn't have to play footy with her. My heart sunk at the thought of being the one to give the sex talk, my only relief was that it wouldn't be for at least a decade. How wrong was I?

Dear Heart and I have always believed that it was important that Princess Ruby knew the proper words for body parts and even though this has caused some strife over the years ... police on the doorstep ... we have made sure that we stuck to our guns.

Over the years the questions asked have been relatively simple to answer. My friend Janelle had given me a great picture book called "Hair in funny places" that has dealt with many of the earlier questions. However a new awareness has dawned on our little one this year and the questions have become more complex.

For example:

what is sex?
how does the baby come out of the vagina when the vagina is so small?
do tampons go in your anus?

Obviously her little ears have heard the word sex mentioned and wanted to know what it was. I really did try to explain it in a simple 6 year old way however her best friend had been a little more graphic than I so more questions arrived. I was fairly lucky to find another picture pop up book that uses the same words as we do that explained in a little more detail. At the end of that discussion her questions were:

how does the penis get into the vagina when it is so floppy?
does it hurt?

So if you haven't had to give the sex talk yet think yourself lucky and be prepared!

My Weight Loss Bible

2007-07-15T19:00:00.000+10:00

This book .... given to me a few years ago by Dear Heart ... has been an inspiration.

However it must be noted that although I have had it for some time it wasn't until a month ago that I really decided to do something about my fat bum and wobbly bits.

So go ahead and read the book however I think you also have to be mentally ready to want to change your life. Maybe this book will give you the confidence you need to tackle your fat bum.

Weighing in ...

2007-07-15T13:08:00.000+10:00

I was really nervous about today's weigh in because I know that I have not been as good as I should. A few too many chocolate flavoured things passed my lips this week and I didn't exercise as much ... felt tired. Upon going through my food journal to make notes for the week and set goals for next week I found that I have had very little meat this week and for an iron deficient person that is not a good thing. I don't really like meat but as I don't eat a lot of other iron rich food I have to eat it.

So how did I go this week?

Since my last weigh in 2 weeks ago I have lost another 4 kgs.
To date I have lost 11 kgs!
My ball gown does all the way up and doesn't feel so tight that it hurts to breath.
My Body Mass Index (BMI) was 32 when I started and is now at 28.
The healthy range for my height is between 20 - 25.
Overall my measurements are reducing or remaining the same ... only my thighs have increased but they feel like muscle now ... not so flabby.
Neck reduced by 2 cm
Hips reduced by 5 cm
Bust and just under my bust have both reduced by 3 cm

Goals for the week ahead:

Count calories as I go
Reduce chocolate snacks
Stretch
Start doing sit ups to target tummy muscles

I should be more active in the coming weeks as Princess Ruby is back at school on Monday so I will need to start getting up earlier (aaaarrrrrgggghhhhh!!!!) and be a little more organised to run her to her activities. Belly Dancing starts again on Monday so that should get my tummy working hard.

Overall I am very proud of what I have achieved in the last 4 weeks. I am such a goddess in the making!

Karate Kids - The first lesson

2007-07-13T20:46:00.000+10:00

We survived! Actually it was a lot of fun, although my arms are a little sore, and the hour and a half just flew by. Not sure how I will pull up tomorrow though. Looking forward to class next week. This getting fit and healthy thing may turn out to be a lot of fun.

A Weighty Issue

2007-07-09T18:50:00.001+10:00

I live in this body and use it the best I can but I often forget to look after it. So when I see a picture of myself like this one it comes as a big shock. This picture was taken on June 10th at my Mum's 70th Birthday celebrations and I am horrified at how fat I am now!

So even though I have known for a while that I need to get fitter and healthier I am now really doing something about it.

I have started watching what I eat and trying to keep my daily food intake between 1200 and 1400 calories and no more than 40 grams of fat. I have given up full strength coke and no longer eat chocolate constantly.

I have started working out on a treadmill and although I am still at a walk it is a fast one ... I am hoping to start running soon.

So far I have lost 7kgs! Last week I got a little cocky and stopped counting calories and ate a bit more crap food. Needless to say I don't think I reduced my girth and I refused to get on the scales to confirm this. Back on track this week and hopefully when I weigh in on Sunday I will be that little bit closer to my healthy body goal.

Karate Kids

2007-07-08T13:05:00.000+10:00

OMG! Princess Ruby, Dear Heart and I joined a karate club last night. We have a four month trial and are expecting to have our yellow belts by the end of this time .... hopefully.

Why did we do this?

We have been talking about doing a fitness class that we could do as a family for years and always leaned towards a martial art. Dear Heart used to do a form of karate and Princess Ruby tried it out for 4 weeks at an Active After Schools program and loved it. So when the opportunity dropped in our laps we decided to jump right in.

Our first class is on Friday 13th ... thank goodness we are not a superstitious lot.

Welcome

2007-07-07T11:41:00.000+10:00

Hello and welcome ... I hope you enjoy your visit.

I know that there is nothing here at the moment however if you pop back I will be adding things soonish.

Princess Ruby and I have to go swimming now however I am hoping that I can get to play a bit later .... but what to add?