Kliban Cats!

This was another quick and easy card to make. For a long time I have loved the Kliban Cats! I have five different stamps. The one above arrived for Valentines Day! I stamped him on to some white card, and added a little bit of colour.  I also stamped the tiny mouse (not a Kliban Cat stamp) and gave him a bit of colour as well. Once I was done with the stamping and colouring, I used Lavinia Stamps Brick stencil and used Versafine Clair Portobello ink to brush randomly around the cat. Very quick and really easy! I Backed it on to a piece of SU Soft Suede card stock. I did add some clear glitter gel pen to the image but it doesn't show on here. I am hoping to get some more of these done soon. 

It's been hot and humid here, which is nice, but it seems to take all my energy away. I do have some new Lavinia stamps arriving soon! They seem to be stuck at the Auckland Airport somewhere inside Customs at the moment. The previous post uses anther of my Kliban Cats stamps. Thanks for dropping by! Have a SUSNSHINE day! Remember to always be your authentic self, and shine bright each and every day!

 

Happy Valentines Day!

 

Let's Welcome Back...

...The Snarkys!! Funny, naughty, and always sarcastic! I finished these three cards this afternoon. It's been awhile since they've appeared on my blog, but I thought it was time they showed up!  Always fun to create with, and I love coming up with witty, funny and sarcastic sayings for them! The second card has one of my made up sayings on. The first and third card has sayings that I bought from a craft shop. Hope you enjoy them!

On the card above, I slightly bent the glasses in the center so they kind of pop up. Hopefully you can see this on the last photo. There's a bit of sparkle on each card, but not so easy to see on here.

Whoops! It looks so messy close up! Oh well, The Snarky's are messy characters!

I hope to be creating more Snarky's ... time will tell! Hope you enjoy them! Thanks for dropping by! Have a SUNSHINE day! Remember to always be your authentic self, and shine bright each and every day!

 

Checking The Sky!

I created these two cards using alcohol inks on Yupo paper. I saw on Andrea's blog Snippets By Andrea) that she has created some GORGEOUS Northern Lights cards, and I wanted to make some. (Thank you Andrea!) Hers are way better than these, and she has reference to a video on how she created them. This was my first attempt with Yupo and alcohol inks, so I was learning on the job! I  used a Tim Holtz die for the tree's. Although these didn't turn out how I wanted, I am still happy with them. I think I prefer the top card as it has more sky area. So much to learn, and so much fun along the way! I splattered on some white Posca pen to the sky to finish the cards. Oh! I've just realized, these are NOT the correct photos I have uploaded!  I baked the cards on some black card stock as they looked better. Oops!  

.

And this is what happened to my fingers! Yes, I have gloves I could have worn, but I really don't like how they feel. Even though they are surgical gloves that fit rally well, I prefer to sue my fingers! So here below is how my fingers ended up!

Not to worry, I used these to clean my hands.

I have them in two sizes, and below is what the packaging looks like.  They also clean marks off shoes, bags etc, as well as cleaning tea/coffee stains from your tea cup. I use them for crafting as well. If you have used Distress Oxide inks on your cards, if you make the sponge damp (not wet, just damp) then lightly wipe he sponge over the card, the Distress Oxide inks will kind of blend/soften and look sort of misty.

And wo minutes after using the sponge on my hands, below is what my hands looked like! I buy the sponges from my local $2 Shop. but you can also get them from the supermarket,  but they are more expensive there.

The following photos are a few I have taken of interesting cloud formations/colours.  The sky is forever changing, which is great because I get lots of opportunities to take photos!

Thanks for dropping by! Have a SUNSHINE day! Remember to always be your authentic self, and shine bright each and every day!

 

Searching For...

I am looking to purchase this stamp set. Unfortunately it has been discontinued. It's one of Tim Holtz stamp sets. It is called  "Stamptember 2020", the fourth Snarky Cats stamp set. I missed out on ordering it at the time, as I was in hospital at the time. By the time I saw the set, it had sold out and was then discontinued, and they are not printing anymore sets, I have the other 3 Snarky Cats stamp sets, just need this one! If anyone has a set they are willing to part with, please let me know!! I know it was a very popular set at the time. I did 'buy' a set off Market Place only to discover I had been scammed. These days the banks have made it harder to get scammed. If the name and account don't match, your payment won't go through.  Can you help me find a set of these stamps?! Thank you in advance!  P.S...I'm working on some cards...

Thanks for dropping by! Have a SUNSHINE day! Remember to always be your authentic self, and shine bright each and every day!

 

Remember...?!

 

Do you remember these guys, The Snarky's?! Keep watching, because they're making a comeback...!!

Thanks for dropping by! Have a SUNSHINE day! Remember to always be your authentic self, and shine bright each and every day!

"Romeo" and Some Random Stuff!

"Romeo", above, in his new back pack carry case! This was the first time he had been in it. We were on our way to the Vet, where he had an injection for the pain for his arthritis. He  has the injection once a month. He also had blood test done, which all came back fine, and no other health issues. I am a very tiny lady, and carrying him in this back pack was much easier than carrying a metal/plastic cage. He weighs around 6.5 kgs, (about 14 lbs) and I had to make sure I didn't lean backwards too much or I would toppled over! Not a good look! I can see the headlines in the news paper...."old lady topples over with cat in back pack and legs in the air flashing off her underwear in public..." 

The book above  is one I decorated some years ago, and I used to sketch idea's I had for creating cards. I also used to put in colour combinations I liked, using  scraps of card.

The Punch Art note book, above, has ideas of things I made using punches.  The 3 photos below show a few of the things I made. I loved making these snowmen below! I used large paper clips, I think they are about 3 inches or more in length. I had one negative experience with someone who bought one from me. An older lady had bought one from me, and then, right in front of me, she ripped the snowman's head off, saying I had put the paper clip round the wrong way. (I hadn't) This all happened in front of a group of people I was with. Once she ripped the head off, she could see the paper clip was round the right way, however, she had ruined the snowman and couldn't fix it. I used to go to a coffee group, and often took crafts I had made, to sell. This particular lady always had plenty to say, and was one of those who are always right. Once she had taken the snowman bookmark apart, I made a decision to leave the group as I'd had enough. I don't like groups of women who sit around and either gossip about others, or whinge and complain about their partners. Consequently I don't go to coffee groups any more! Yay!

The photos above and below were both made using heart shaped punches. I may have used dies for the dog one as it is much bigger than the heart shapes on the dress above.

This note book below is what I used to write down who I had sent/received Christmas cards from each year. I also noted down what card I had made. I started in 2003. Looking through it, there was a lot of people I used to send cards to. Lets put it this way, I wasted a lot of time, love, money and energy sending cards to people who really didn't deserve them, or give a rats bum about the time and effort I put in to making the cards.   I've long since stopped sending cards to those people. I learned that life is too short, and too precious to waste time doing that. I hope you guys don't waste your time sending cards you have lovingly created, to people who really don't care. Don't get to the point where you feel obligated to end a card. Because when that happens, you don't enjoy what you are creating, and you feel miserable and stressed. You're worth more than that💖. If you do feel obligated, just stop. Put your craft items down and walk away. Don't do it. Save your time and energy and spend it on someone who appreciates what you have created. 'Advice' from someone who has been there, done that, watched the movie and read the book!! That would be ME! I think I have a t shirt that says all that! 

Ok, thanks for dropping by! Have a SUNSHINE day! Remember to always be your authentic self, and shine bright each and every day!

 

Not Having Fun. UPDATE.

Here I am back in Hospital, again. They're trying to get a needle in but my veins are very small, and after four attempts, they have now gone to find a Doctor. I've had enough needles. I'm waiting for them to give me something to stop me throwing up, and get rid of the nausea. I get to the stage where I can't deal with any more needles, and I  become very anxious. I'm close to that point now. I'll update this later. 

Ok, so I was eventually discharged last night, and am back home again. I have a card to share! Yes, another cad inspired by the lovely Eileen Godwin. I wonder if she reads my blog?! I somehow doubt she has the time, but hey, you never know! My trip to hospital didn't go well, they were unable to find a vein to take blood, and after many attempts, they gave up. So no blood tests, and no fluids to re-hydrate me. I seem to be doing ok though, so that's good news. The Doctor I had was great, really supportive and made sure I had all the meds I needed plus a script for some other meds I needed. She was also very apologetic that they had tried so many times to find a vein without luck. They wanted to try a vein in my foot, but I've had that done  before and it's absolutely horrible, and is so painful. I said NOOO! Luckily they understood, and so that was the end of it!

Here is my card. 

I stenciled the background in pale pink and pale blue ink. The border is a bit wonky, but the sky is not going to fall because of it! My hands are still a bit shaky. The weather here is not the best today, especially as it is SUMMER, and it has been raining this morning. We've also had loads of strong wind for the last 2  1/2 weeks, and I am over it! Everyone is sick of the wind, and we just want our Summer back again. Ok, thanks for dropping by! Have a SUNSHINE day! Remember to always be your authentic self, and shine bright each and every day!

"Darcy" and "Rory" Stargazing!

Another card inspired by Eileen Godwin! I keep finding her videos and just have to have ago! I used a circle mask to make a half circle. On one side of the circle I brushed on some Tumbled Glass Distress Oxide ink. I am quickly falling in love with these inks. They blend so well, and the colours are gorgeous. I like that you can use a damp cloth and 'wipe' over them to create a sort of 'misty', or softer look. (No I didn't do that on here!) So once I had done the blue half way across the circle, I stamped the berry branch, and then stamped Darcy and Rory, and lastly the star cluster. Yes, all Lavinia products! I also added some red, and white Nuvo Drops to the berries. There's also a dot of silver Stickles on a few of the darker berries. I very lightly stamped a stamp that says something about 'the clouds are lined with silver', in the top right hand side of the card. This was another fun card to create! I stuck the finished card to a piece of black card. The whole card measures around 4 3/4 by 5 inch. Ok, Romeo goes back to the vet next Tuesday. They tried to take blood last week, but because they had poked and prodded him to check where the pain was, he would not let them do the test. He is a very chilled, relaxed boy, but he hissed and howled and turned in to a hell cat. Not his normal behaviour at all. I was stunned to see him like this, and very stressed. So he now has some tablets to take so he is relaxed and calm, and hopefully he lets them take blood. They need to check if he has any other health issues before they can prescribe something for the pain. He has one tablet Monday night, and one tablet two hours before his appointment the next day. I've never had to sedate a cat before and I'm very anxious about it. Poor thing, he was very stressed at the vet. Once we got home that day, he was quite sore for the next couple of days, but the pain seems to have settled a bit now. Fingers crossed that everything goes well for us on Tuesday! Ok, thanks for dropping by! Have a SUNSHINE day! Always be your authentic self, and shine bright each and every day!

"Toad Lodge"

 Here's my card I made this morning. Inspiration from Eileen Godwin again. I used one of my LS stencils to begin with. I used  blue and pink Distress Oxide ink for the stenciling. Once I had that done, I left the stencil in place, and used a lightly damp (not wet) cloth and carefully 'wiped' over the inked stenciling. This removes some of the ink and gives a soft muted effect. I used my heat gun to dry the card before stamping on it. A tip I learned from Eileen. I always learn something from her! My challenge is to remember to use those tips when I create something! Ok, so I had Romeo-Valentino to the Vet this morning. It turns out he has some arthritis and obviously some pain. I did wonder if he was in some pain. He needs to have some blood tests as well, to check his kidneys, heart & lungs etc. We'll get that sorted out soon. Thanks for dropping by! Have a SUNSHINE day! Remember to always be your authentic self, and shine bright each and every day!

Lavinia Stamps "Secrets."

Once again, I was inspired by a card Eileen Godwin had done. I remember the first time I watched her create something. It was a 'lightbulb' moment for me. I knew in an instant that this was the kind of art I wanted to do. I love Eileen's style of art, it's clean and elegant, and very calming. When I create  something like this, nothing else exists, the world and all it's sometimes ugly bits and everything else just melt away,  and it's only me and my art! To create this, I used a square shaped sticker stencil, and placed it in the center of a square white card. I used a circle mask and a stencil brush to add colour, (Distress Oxide ink pads) moving the mask to create half circles on the left side of the card. I then stamped the Thistle stamp on the right hand side, and stamped the sentiment half way up the card. The stamp I chose purposely fits 'around' the sentiment. The last thing I did was to add a tiny dot of Silver Stickles on the top of each spikey bit on the Thistles. I really enjoy creating this kind of art, it's very relaxing and un-complicated. Thanks for dropping by! Have a SUNSHINE day! Remember to always be your authentic self, and shine bright each and every day!

A Gaggle Geese!

Please be kind...this is not my best effort! I stamped on one of LS Scene Scapes pre-printed cards. I had been wanting to use this stamp as I'd had it for a while. The Geese are supposed to be walking (waddling?) around a pond. You may need to use your imagination! It's a bit messy and as I said, not my best effort. I am a bit stressed because I have an appointment on Wednesday, for Romeo-Valentino. He's eating and drinking ok, but he just seems a bit lethargic. I'm hoping it's not serious. The last time I had one of my cats (Bella-Rosa) at the vets, it was not a good outcome. What made it worse, was, Auckland was in lockdown a the time, due to Covid, and I was not allowed in to be with her. It was beyond heart breaking. My cats are my world, and are so much more than just a cat. Ok, thanks for dropping by! Have a SUNSHINE day! Always be your authentic self, and shine bright each and every day!

 

"Mooch" and "Brodwin"

 

Here's another 7x7 inch card I did yesterday. I call them 'cards', but really they're pictures, little pieces of art! Ok, I used a Sticker stencil to create the Toadstool, and used a patterned stencil to get the shape. (All Lavinia products.) Then "Mooch" the cat was stamped on one side. I stamped "Brodwin" the Owl, to look as if he is about to land on the Toadstool, or was about to fly away. (It depends on your point of view!) The word "Wish" was stamped last. I used a pastel pencil in white under "Brodwin's" wings, and a little black pencil under "Mooch" to ground him. I also added a black edge around the card, then mounted it onto a larger piece of white card. I also drew a black edge around this card. ow, there's a bit of a story attached t this card! When I first used the stencil (patterned one) over top of the Sticker Stencil, (the Toadstool) the blue colour was really pale and didn't look right. So I had to add more colour. Luckily I had not cleaned the patterned stencil, and after a bit of fiddling around, I was able to place the stencil in the same place and add some extra colour. It was a bit of a challenge, but I was not about to bin the card! Thanks for dropping by! Have a SUNSHINE day! Remember to always be your authentic self, and shine bright each and every day!

"Hattie" and "Dana"

This is a 7x7 inch card. All Lavinia products. I was inspired to create this after seeing a card created by Eileen Godwin.  "Hattie" the Witch, and "Dana" the fairy. I love the clean lines and simplicity of this. Since being in hospital, briefly, New Years Day, I am still not well! I didn't get the correct treatment and was still dehydrated when I was discharged. Struggling to eat or drink, and still feeling very nauseous, and not able to get an appointment with my Doctor for 9 days due to him (and the entire Medical Center) being on holiday, it was a challenge. Even then he was so booked up all I could get was a phone consultation with him two days ago. So I haven't had much energy to do any art work, until I was inspired by Eileen's card! I am exhausted and just want to close the blinds, put a sign on the door that says, "Don't knock, don't call, just back away and leave me in peace!" Or something a little 'stronger' than that, lol! Luckily I still have my sense of humour!

Thanks for dropping by! Have a SUNSHINE day! Remember to always be your authentic self, and shine bright each and every day!

 

Happy New Year!

These first two cards were inspired by Jo Rice from Lavinia Stamps. I love the simplicity of these cads and ha fun creating them.

The card below is one I made for a friends Birthday. It measures 5x5 inches. I used a sheet of the new Scene Scapes papers from Lavinia. It has some sparkle on it, but I don't think you can see it. I used a clear Wink of Stella pen on the wings. The sentiment is one of Suzanne Canons beautiful creations. I love her Calligraphy!

The last card below, was inspired by Eileen Godwin. I used one of Lavinia's sticker stencil for the large Hare in the background. I hope you can see him, he is very pale. Then I used the stamp that matches that image. I finished the card by placing it on a black piece of cardstock, That was after I had taken this photo! I had fun creating these cards, but was 'interrupted' with some health issues. Long story short, I was unwell NYE and had the Ambulance here twice in one day, and ended up  in hospital for a few hours while they did some tests. I am VERY happy to be home and to get back to my artwork!  (The cats are also very happy to have home!) 

Thanks for dropping by! Have a SUNSHINE day! Remember to always be your authentic self, and shine bright each and every day!