My 1st Andy Skinner Stamp Card!

Above. So here I am clutching my parcel of Andy Skinner which just arrived this morning! They weren't due until late Wednesday, but here it is Monday, so I am not complaining! It was a very exciting moment!

Above is the VERY sturdy binder that came with the stamps. It's really solid so I will decorate it eventually.

Here are photos of the stamps I got. They measure about 4 inches by 2-3 inches, and each stamp comes with a sentiment stamp.

Above shows the stamp inside the Binder, and below is the card I made using the stamp. I also used the sentiment which says, "Let the adventure begin." The card I made may look 'ordinary,' nothing special. Here's how I created it. I stamped it on to SU Soft Suede cardstock using Versafine Clair Nocturne ink. I used my stamp positioner.  I left the stamp on the stamp positioner. (Very important to leave the stamp where it is for now.) I removed the card and using some Matt White Chalk Home Decor paint, I carefully painted over the boys shirt. I completely covered the shirt with white paint. (I forgot to take a photo...)I also painted the tummy white on the Teddy Bear. Once the paint was dry I re-inked the stamp using the same black ink as before, put the stamped card back in the stamp positioner and stamped over the shirt. This puts the details (in black) back on the shirt. The shirt has lots of tiny details on it, and I would never have been able to paint the white around it as the details are so tiny and close together. This is one of the techniques Andy Skinner uses in colouring his images. I just had to try it! It isn't perfect. If you're looking for 'perfection', leave now and find another blog 'cause this isn't it! I did a couple if things wrong, and I am ok with that. This is the first time I have ever used this technique. The main things is, I had fun! Each stamp is on a piece of plastic and has the stamped image on a piece of card. The stamps are all deeply etched red rubber. So this is what I have created so far today! There are other techniques to colour the images, and I hope I can master them all as time goes by! Of course, you can mix and match the sentiment stamps as you like. I used the one that came with this stamp. Hopefully my instructions are easy enough to follow. Check out Andy Skinner and his awesome stamps on you tube to see more of his work. I am totally hooked!

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

 

I Am NOT A Pincushion! I'm Going Home!

 I don't have anything to post here, I have a card half finished, but run out of energy and ended up having to go back to bed to sleep. I will finish the card maybe tomorrow. I had to go and have blood tests done this morning. I was supposed to go yesterday but had a sore throat and didn't feel like going out. What a waste if energy, none of the nurses could get blood because my veins are stuffed. Having been in hospital 4 times in the last month, I have bruises on bruises on bruises, on both arms. I am NOT a pin cushion, and I am SO fed up with nurses being gung ho and thinking THEY can find a vein, and failing, leaving me bruised and annoyed. It's happened SOO many time and I am fed up. While I was in hospital recently, they ended up getting and Anesthetist Technician to come and put a needle in my arm. She was brilliant! She put some anesthetic in my arm using a very fine needle, then she used the Ultra Sound to scan my arm for a viable vein, and then  put the needle in. NO pain, NO stress No bruise, and NO grumpy Sunshine! She said  to ask for an Anesthetist Technician next time they have issues. So I left the blood lab mumbling that I am NOT going back again and the hospital will have to do without my blood. They wanted to see how low my Haemoglobin levels were, as they were very low when I was in hospital. So I got home (exhausted) and my phone rang. It was the hospital saying they think my levels are ok (due to other tests they did) and that I don't need to have any more blood tests!! Best news I've had all day! I am so glad I don't need to go back for more needles. They all want to "Practice" on me, and they all 'think' THEY are the one who will get blood from my vein. I am learning to say 'no', please find someone who has experience, and please use the Ultra Sound. This 'ain't my first rodeo and I am not a pin cushion! I have nothing against nurses, I support you and know how hard you work, and you are often understaffed, but still do a great job. It's just that...I'm not a pin cushion and I've had enough.

So, I have recently discovered some new stamps, and a new (to me) Artist. His name is Andy Skinner. Have you seen his stamps? Have you seen him create with them/ And do you have any of his stamps?! I ordered some the other day and I am super excited to get them! They'll be a short while as they are coming from the UK. A local craft store her in NZ has them, but they're out of stock. They take for ever to get stock in and I want my stamps 'now'! Gosh Andy is super talented with how he colours the stamped images, and I've watched several of his videos. Let me know if you have used his stamps, and I would love to see what you created! I first saw some videos that Amanda Branston did using his stamps, and I was intrigued. You can find Amanda on FB under Amanda Jane Crafts. She was with Lavinia Stamps, but now has her own channel and does some awesome art work. Ok, that's it for now. Thanks for dropping by! Have a SUNSHINE day! Remember to always be your authentic self, and shine bright each and every day!

Uh Oh, Here I Go Again

 I woke up at 3.30 am this morning, with a very dry sore throat, and feeling very nauseous. I got up and took some Paracetamol, and something for the nausea. I was supposed to have blood test today, but don't feel well enough to go out. I am home under the Hospital In The Home scheme. This means a Nurse/Doctor will call me each day to check in on me. I told them this morning that I am not well and don't feel well enough to go out. They are ok with that and hopefully I feel better and can have the bloods done tomorrow. They need to check my Haemaglobin levels, as they were too low while I was in the hospital. They think it may be due to having had Covid. if my levels are still low I will need to have a blood transfusion. I'm also back to feeling extremely tired again. A friend came to visit me while I was in hospital a couple f weeks ago. Lovely to see her as she lives  hours North of here. She wasn't well at the time, and when she went home she did a Covid test, and it was positive. She waited TWO WEEKS before telling me she had Covid. She knows my immune system is very poor, but she never said a thing. I feel really disappointed and somewhat annoyed with her. It's sad when things like this happen, it's left me feeling that I cannot trust people/friends anymore. We've been friends since we were 10. Just feeling annoyed right now. But...I have made another card last night! 

This is Penelope with her aunt, Esme! As the sentiment says, they are 'out in the elements' looking at the Moon! (As Witches do!) This card measures 3 1/4 by 5 inches, once again done on water colour card. I've used another one of the Ravens. Nothing compares to standing on a hill at mid night, staring up at the full moon! Of course, if one of those Witches was me, I'd have my camera hoping to spot a UFO...!  Thanks for dropping by! have  SUNSHINE day! Remember to always be your authentic self, and shine bright each and every day!

"Penelope" #2

 

Here's another version of "Penelope". I made this card using water colour card, as I did in my previous post. It's about the same size as well. I've also used 'Specter', the Raven, as well as Mini Rune the cat.  I've used similar stamps to create with and added some water drops as I did on the other "Penelope" card. This one has turned out a bit more 'messy' than I intended, the background is quite 'busy'. But I am having fun and it feels good to be able to sit and create for awhile. I still can't stand for very long, due to weight loss and being unwell for weeks, and am having issues preparing proper meals.  Before I left the hospital I asked about getting help to either prepare meals, or where I could purchase nourishing meals from. Well that didn't work at all. English was not the nurses first language, and she did not understand what I was asking. She came back with a note saying to buy food to cook, online from a local store. I tried to explain to her how much weight I had lost, and how standing for too long was not easy for me, but she didn't understand and wasn't interested. I kept insisting I needed help and was not leaving until it was sorted. Eventually she left and came back with 3 frozen meals. I wasn't happy but could see I wasn't going to be offered any help, so I left and came home. I heated one of the meals when I got home. It was revolting and inedible. Ditto for the second on I tried to eat yesterday. To feed someone who has lost so much weight and been so unwell for the last month, food that is tasteless and has no nutritional value what so ever is pretty darn shocking if you ask me. I have since ordered some frozen meals that are prepared by professional chefs. They arrive either later today or tomorrow. They're not cheap and I really hope they taste great. From what I read online, they seem to be quite popular and are nutritious. Yes I could have ordered frozen meals from my local supermarket, but having tried them before I know they don't have much nutritional value, and they make me sick. The good news is I was weighed before I left the hospital and have put on 4.5 kg in weight. So I have another almost 4 kg to go to be back to my normal weight of 48 kg. I have very little muscle tone at the moment, and I'm hoping I can re-gain all the weight I lost. Feeling annoyed and disappointed with my own Doctor, who did nothing about my weight loss. I saw him twice at that time and he said nothing about my weight. Not having scales at home, I wasn't aware how much weight I'd lost. When they weighed me in hospital 3 weeks ago and said I was 42 kg I almost collapsed. I asked her to check again in case she mis-read the numbers. She hadn't. Since coming home I'm with a scheme called Hospital in the Home. (HITH) This means  each day for the next week, a doctor or nurse from the hospital call me to check I'm doing ok, or if I have any new symptoms. I have blood tests done tomorrow and from there a doctor will assess me. There was an issue with my Haemoglobin levels being too low, and possibly needing a blood transfusion.  This is what they are checking for tomorrow. I just had the nurse call me from HITH and I mentioned to her about meal preparation and how the hospital was not helpful. She's going to look into it and agree'd that I should have had more help. Has anyone had  CT scan before? I had one while I was in hospital recently. I'd had an abdominal x-ray done which had come back with some anomaly which needed sorting out. A Doctor came in and said I needed an urgent CT scan because she thinks I have a twisted bowel. And if that was the case, I was going to  be rushed off to another hospital immediately to have surgery that night! She was not a doctor I had seen before, and stressed the hell out of me. She was convinced I had a twisted bowel and MUST have the CT scan immediately. She said I would have dye injected into my veins, would feel hot for a short time, and would feel like I had pee'd my pants! She said I would go into this doughnut shaped thing when they did the scan. My panic button went off because with my primary health issues, any stress, shock can send my body into a crisis. (I will explain about that in another post.) I refused to have the scan, not knowing if I was allergic to the dye, not having had it before, and told the Doctor about my Primary health condition, and how stress/shock affects me. (I have no control over it). Long story short the scan was put on  hold, but she still pressured me, which ended up with me almost having a panic attack because she was so abrupt in her delivery of what she was TELLING me I HAD to have done URGENTLY. Eventually she changed her approach and after I spoke with my nurse, I said I would have the CT scan done, even though I was very anxious and concerned I may need urgent surgery. The scan took about 8 minutes from go to whoa, and I was taken back to my room. Dinner came and I never saw that Dr again. Next morning another DR came in and said my bowel was NOT twisted, and the anomaly on the x-ray was due to...flatulence...a bunch of stuck farts!! So much for her being convinced I had a twisted bowel. But I 'knew' my bowel wasn't twisted. I let that Doctor know that her abrupt approach didn't sit well with me and how it had made me feel. I also mentioned that she might want to change her approach in her delivery of what tests/scans she wanted her patients to have. Rushing into their room and just dumping it on them does not always work, and is not being mindful of your patients, who are unwell and may be vulnerable. It sure as heck doesn't work for me!  Ok, so that's it for me today! Thanks for dropping by! Have a SUNSHINE day! Remember to always be your authentic self, and shine bright each and every day!

'Penelope"

 

This is Penelope, one of the new Witch stamps from Lavinia Stamps. My new stamps arrived about a week ago and this is the first I have used any of them. I made this card yesterday. I used a scrap piece if water colour card and used a brayer to colour the background. (Soft Cygnet Elements ink, and a bit of Russet Orange, also Elements ink). I Then stamped Penelope and her 2 cats Mini Rune and Mini Jinx. I added the hill and then the moon. I used an LS stamp to stamp the circle of stars around the moon. I can't recall the name of the stamp as it's not on the package. Leave me a comment if you want to know which stamp it is and I will reply. I flicked on some water drops, added some sparkle and some gold glitter, then found some LS stickers for the words. The card measures 2 1/4 x just over 3 inches in size. This was great fun to create, and I'm totally happy with how it turned out. I added some yellow to Penelope's lamp and also a bit around the inside of the moon. You can't really see the little bit of sparkle but it's there. There is another stamp of Penelope, and I hope to create another min card with her. I'm a bit tired, but I'm ok. It's nice to be able to make a cup od tea when I want one, and not have to wait for someone to make it for me. I didn't sleep too well last night, it was so quiet! I had gotten used to hearing beeps and alarms going off! Hopefully I sleep better tonight. Thanks for dropping by! Have a SUSNSHINE day! Always be your authentic self, and shine bright each and every day!

It's Been A Journey...

 Well here's some good news...I am HOME!! I was discharged this morning. I had another Covid test early this morning,  and it came back negative! Unknown to me I'd had it for about 10 days. I had no symptoms except for being ultra tired and needing to go back to bed and sleep during the day. I am so grateful that I am ok, as I have a very compromised immune system and had been cautioned about getting Covid. This is why I self isolated when there were outbreaks. It wasn't fun being at home and not being allowed to leave the house.I was lucky though, I had several people All strangers except one) who happily did all my shopping for me, and dropped it in to me. I then paid them online. It was all based on trust. I trusted them and they trusted me. It taught me a lot about people, people who were literally strangers. There are some awesome people out there for sure.  It's great to be home! Romeo was so happy to see me, he wanted lots of pats and cuddles...and food! In return he gave me lots of kisses and cuddles! It was a surprise to be told I can go home this morning, I wasn't expecting that at all. I had a lovely sunny room with two big windows overlooking one of the wards below. Tonight, or to be exact, at 2 am in the morning we here in NZ put our clocks back an hour, as we go on to Daylight Savings. Luckily all my clocks etc automatically change, I don't need to do anything. I really don't feel lie waking up at 2 am to change the clocks! I need my sleep! Instead of hearing beeps and alarms going off, I can hear birds chirping and children laughing. Ok that's it for now. Thanks for dropping by! Have a SUNSHINE day! Remember to always be your authentic self, and shine bright each and every day!

Oh Bummer.

I've just tested positive for Covid. First time I've had it. No real symptoms except for being very tired at times. I'm on meds for Covid having a compromised immune system. I had a CT scan as they were concerned my bowel was twisted. It isn't so that's good news. Turns out it was a bit of flatulence, aka farts!! Omg I'm having a time of it. I will be here a few more days while they sort a couple of things out. I have to be home before Thursday as Sarah, Wookies mom and family are going away and they are feeding Romeo for me. I don't have anyone else who can feed him. Fingers crossed! Andrea, thank you for your comment you left me. Not sure if it published but if not I will sort it ehen I get home-thank you! I start on the Covid meds soon. I've done well not getting Covid until now. I had to isolate many timeshare home when it first hit. Thankfully they have medications i can take for it now. I have a bunch of NEW Lavinia Stamps and stencils and I almost bought them with me just to look at@ Would have kept mu brain busy! Oh welk, they'll be waiting for ne when I get home. I hope Romeo hasn't played with them and made a card for Wookie! I've had dinner and a lovely cup of tea, and it's dark now. We go off Daylight Saving Saturday at 2 am. I hope I remember to change the clock back an hour or I'll ge on the wrong time, lol! My Haemaglobin levels have dropped, and I may need a blood transfusion. They will check my bloods again tomorrow and will know what to do then. I think I'm falling apart! Ok that's all for now. Thanks for dropping in! Remember to always be your authentic self, and shine bright each and every day!

Oh No!

Here I am back in hospital again. Dehydrated and not well. It's not where I want to be, but it's where I need to be at the moment. I came in last night and haven't had any sleep, so I'm feeling tired. I've had all kinds of tests and don't want to see another needle. But I know they need to put a line in so they can give fluids. I won't be crafting for awhile, but I just wanted to update onvwhats happening with me at the moment. If you believe in prayer, feel free to pray for me and my health. I would appreciate that. I'm  missing Romeo so much. Thanks for dropping by. Have a SUNSHINE day! Remember to always be your authentic self, and shine bright each and every day!

A Little Bit Of Crafting!

 

Above is a photo I took of Daisy, the Hospital cat, that I took when I was in hospital recently. She has the run of the hospital, and visits patients. She often sleeps on their bed, and spends time in the Maternity ward making sure the new mums and babies are all ok. She visited the ward I was in and I took a couple of photos of her. She's a real treasure and likes to spend time in one of the offices curled up on a chair. When I called her, she came running down the hallway meowing! After a pat and cuddle he wandered off.

I haven't touched my stamps for ages due to being unwell. I'm still recovering at home, and having lost a lot of weight, I am now trying to build up my muscles and put the weight back on. I lost 6 kg (13.4 lb) which wasn't intentional and was way too much for me to lose. I've had issues being able to stand/walk, due to being so weak. But I'm slowly getting my strength back. I do have some new stamps/dies which I will post here as time goes by. While I was in hospital my kidneys stopped working I was so dehydrated. Everything is fine now, thankfully. While I was in hospital there was a nurse/doctor strike for 2 days. They had managed to put a line in my arm, but had to wait for the Doctor to sign the form so I could be given the  3 bags of fluid which had been ordered. Unfortunately because of the strike, there was only one doctor available at that time and he was really busy with two patients in Resus. Then I was moved to a ward, and they still couldn't find the doctor to approve the fluids. This went on for 2 days, and because I was vomiting I wasn't able to eat or drink. Long story short, by the time the doctor signed the papers, and they tried to get the IV fluids going, the IV had become blocked and they couldn't clear it. They tried to find another vein but  my veins had disappeared due to being so dehydrated. Both my arms were covered in bruises, and I was sick of being stabbed with needles. They got the Ultra Sound machine to find a vein, but each time they found one, it wasn't suitable. It was a nightmare, and then they told me my Kidneys had stopped working. They gave me something to stop me vomiting, and it worked well eventually. Then I was able to eat and I started to drink. For some weird reason I craved ice! Once I was drinking small amounts my Kidneys started to work again, which was great! I had a message from a close friend who lives 4 hours North of me, and we don't often get to see each other. Her youngest daughter (who  lives her in Auckland, not far from the hospital I was in) said that she was in Auckland as her daughter wasn't well. She asked me what I was up to and I told her I was in hospital. Ten minutes later she arrived for a visit! That was great and cheered me up. We've been friends since we were ten years old and used to go roller skating together. 

She stayed for several hours which was nice. I asked for a walker so I could get to the ta room to make myself a cup of tea. It felt weird walking after being in bed for 8 days and being so weak. Luckily the tea room was only a few steps away from my room. 

The next day I saw the Kidney Specialist who said he was sure my kidneys were working again, and would I like to go home?! Of course I said yes! I sent my friend a text and told her the good news. She said she would come and drive me home, which she did. By then I'd been in hospital nine days. Way too long, usually I'm in and out in 2 days. However, this time I had an infection and a high Temperature. I  had Campylobacter - food poisoning from some chicken I had eaten. (Chicken is now off the menu!) It wasn't pleasant and I had to have a 5 day course of Antibiotics. Most people don't need the Antibiotics, but because of my existing medial issues, I had to have them. It took the hospital a few days to properly check why I had such a high temperature due to a lot of the staff being on strike. They did their best with the skeleton staff they had, and I am grateful to them for all their help. The meals were great, and I have no complaints about the food there. So yeah, it's been a journey and I am SO happy to be home! Poor Romeo was overjoyed to see me, and he follows me to bed and sleeps tucked up against my chest each night! I felt terrible being away from him for 9 days, but I really had no choice. I needed medical help. 

So I am slowly getting back into crafting, I don't have a lot of energy, and still find standing and walking a challenge. I also get tired quickly, so I try to pace myself. Luckily I sleep ok at night. 

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

Health Issues.

I'm just dropping in to let you know that I have been in hospital for nine days, with a serious infection and kidney issue.  I am now back home. I've lost 6 kg which is way too  much. It happened over a few weeks, and I am very weak and have trouble standing up and/or walking. I have to keep sitting down. I was seriously dehydrated and ended up with my kidneys not working too well. I get tired quickly and spend a lot of time resting. I don't think I will be creating anything for awhile. It's a long story. 

Some good news though, Ebay have fully refunded me for the stamps/dies and missing embossing folder, so that's great. Thanks for dropping by, have a SUNSHINE day! Always be your authentic self and shine bright each and every day!

A New Card, and a Missing Item Update!

Apologies for all these updates. I have received a reply from the seller on Ebay USA. Sadly she is not really interested and didn't seem concerned the item was missing. I have not been able to leave her feedback because I cannot find how to do it. I went into my history and found my orders, and found her feedback, but there's nowhere to leave feedback for her. I won't be buying anything more from ebay after this experience. I've been ripped off big time and it has cost me a lot of money. On top of paying for the bundle I have also had to pay for the new bundle which will arrive next week sometime. I am still waiting to hear back from NZ Couriers, they actually delivered the package to me, and have asked for the stamps and dies, and package they came in, and are looking into things. With a lot of luck, they might refund me, or maybe "find" the missing embossing folder. Seriously though, who ever stole it needs to have a die cutting machine to be able to use it. NZ Couriers will contact me once they've looked into it. I love on hope! I'm just annoyed that someone would steal something that is not theirs. And I am disappointed with the seller, her attitude stinks, and I will never buy from her again. And I will let people know about it. Ok, that's it, I will stop my venting, and let The Universe sort it all out! 

I have managed to contact the seller about the missing embossing folder, and am waiting to hear back from her. It may take a day or so due to the time difference.

Breaking News!!! My amazing SU Demonstrator, Jacque Williams (Gold Elite) here in NZ, has located a new Bundle for me!! IT will arrive next week. I had tried for some time to find the bundle here, before ordering from Ebay, but to no avail. Ok, just wanted to update you guys with the good news! 

I created this card with a retired Stampin' Up! set. (Leaves and orange images) I die cut the leaves and other foliage using various Tim Holtz die sets. A month ago I had seen these cards on the internet and wanted to create some Christmas cards using it. It's actually a Bundle, it has the stamps, dies and hybrid embossing folder. I wasn't able to find the bundle here in NZ, so I purchased it from Ebay. I was excited about receiving it and it finally arrived 2 days ago. Unfortunately the package had obviously been opened before I got it and the Hybrid embossing folder is missing. It hadn't opened by Customs, as they always stamp it saying it had been opened by them, and they re-seal the package with tape that says it's been opened by Customs. The seller had enclosed all 3 items when it was sent to me. I was not happy. I have been in contact with NZ Courier who delivered it to me, and am waiting to hear from them. E post Global were the first courier who sent it from USA, and then once it got to NZ, NZ Couriers handled it. You can see the side of the package has been cut open and re-sealed with tape. I opened it from the right hand side, looking at the photo). Someone is responsible for opening the package and taking the embossing folder, and I am trying to sort it out and get compensated for the theft. E Post Global are not interested in my complaint and have closed my enquiry. I paid a lot of money for the bundle and I am entitled (by law) to be financially compensated. The Hybrid embossing folder is part of the set, and it's missing. NZ Couriers have collected the stamp and dies set, and the packaging and I am waiting to hear from them. To be honest I don't hold out much hope as it is going to be hard to prove who cut the parcel open and took the embossing folder. The Bundle is three items - I only have two of them. I was really looking forward to using this set, and did make the one card before sending the stamp and dies to NZ Couriers. So yeah, I am not happy and feeling a bit annoyed. Why do (some) people feel they have the right to steal from others? I don't get it.

The photo above is the   stamps and die's I got, the photo after that are of the package, and you can see it had been previously opened. Bottom of photo.

These next two photos are of the leaves and foliage I die cut while I was waiting for the package to arrive. Ther's a lot of work in those leaves etc! I coloured and cut plenty so I could create a few cards.

Thankfully I have a Big Shot Switch machine, so the die cutting was much quicker. It was still a big job though, and I have to admit, I did have a few 'lunch' breaks in between! I know I've been 'missing' for about a month, but I've been dealing with some health issues, and have had a sore throat for almost 2 weeks. I think I'm almost over it now. Thankfully I did not end up in hospital, although it was close a couple of times. Our weather is warming up as we head into Spring in a few days! My Spring bulbs have been flowering and make me smile every time I see them! Spring can bring some sneaky rain showers, so I have my fingers crossed that we don't get too much rain. We've had plenty during Winter!

Thanks for dropping by, have a SUNSHINE day! Always be your authentic self and shine bright each and every day!

 

Another Snowman!

I used an Inky Antics stamp set to create the card above. (113905c Snowman Maker). Its a clear stamp set and the hat, 3 faces, words and scarf are separate stamps. I stamped the hat, face and words directly onto a piece of card, I then stamped the scarf onto a scrap of card and cut it out. Once I had coloured everything, I glued the scarf into place. It was a bit long, so I cut it down a bit. I didn't define his face, as I like it how it is. I glued on the tiny swirl things, which are plastic. I layered it onto red then white card to finish it. He was fairly quick and easy to create! Not that I am in any hurry for Christmas to arrive! But I have a thing for snowmen, lol!

I stamped this hat on to a piece of special card stock...keep reading! It was some I got from Temu.

And look what happened to it when I painted it with some water colour paint! It puffs up and explodes! Below is the card I made. I used a stamp set is from AALL & Create #1034. (Purrfect Paws) It has a cat, a hat and a couple of sentiment stamps. Once the hat was completely dry I glued it to some white card, then on to the pink dotty card. There are about 8 small (3x4 inch) pieces of card. It was advertised as 'card' but to me it looks and feels very much like a kitchen sponge, once it is dry. It goes very hard and solid and is very light in weight. I was fascinated by it at first, but having put it on a card, now I am not too sure if I like it or not! I think I will have another play with it before I say yes I like it. It looks ok in the photo here, but irl the white card has buckled a bit and isn't 'flat'. Maybe I stuck the hat to the white card before the hat was properly dry. Anyway, I thought I would post it. Lets just say it was 'interesting', and something definitely 'different'!

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

 

My Lavinia Stamps Have Landed!

 My new stamps arrived, and here they are! This is the Twilight Tea range. 

Ooops, I forgot to take a photo of the other Sunflower stamp! 

Below are two of the new Rice Paper packs. They are much nicer than this photo shows.

Two new ink pads, and a white pen, plus another pen that is for masking. It writes like a pen and gives much finer lines than a paint brush does. I found it easy to use.

Below is a card I created using some of the new stamps. First of all I cut and glued a piece of the Rice papers onto a piece of LS cardstock. Once it was dry, I used various stamps to create a scene. I used a stencil brush to brush on some colours of Elements ink, just to give it a bit more colour. The Rice paper takes the inks really well and doesn't bleed. It feels very soft kind like suede! So that's my new stamps! As I create cards etc I will post them here. I hope you enjoyed seeing the new stamps!

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

"Frosty" The Snowman!"

 

Here's another rock I made and painted. It taken me awhile to paint it because our weather here is so wet and dark, and the paint takes ages to dry. I had to wait several days for each coat of paint to dry before I could do the next coat. It was very time consuming, plus I ended up back in hospital for two days this week. Anyway, the rock is made from quick dry cement and is four inches round. It was one I made a couple of weeks ago and never got around to painting it. I sketched the snowman and lights etc, then went over the top with a Posca pen, or an acrylic marker. I guess I will put him under the Christmas tree! We've had four solid days of very heavy rain, today being the 4th day. I am SO over it. 😠 The rain is really heavy and loud, and drowns out the radio or the tv. Yep, it's time it's stopped! The good thing is, as wet as it is, it isn't very cold! It's been a warmer Winter than usual. It's been so dark I have to have lights on otherwise I can't see. I bought a five cheap sets of acrylic paint pens from K. Mart last week. There are some metallic markers as well as bright ones and some more pastel ones. They are just as good as the Posca but much cheaper. When I got an email notification that they had been sent, it said they were each being sent separately. I thought that was dd and rather wasteful to send each pack on it's own. Why not chuck them all into one post bag and send them altogether?? Anyhow, when they arrived, they were all in one postal bag, but each pack of markers were in separate bags. Wasteful! There was a ton of plastic to throw out. In a world where we are trying to reduce our plastic waste, this is not good. I was tempted to pack it up and send it back to K. Mart telling them not to be so wasteful, and stop filling our rubbish tips with so much plastic. It wasn't necessary to use that amount of plastic. I had enough bubble wrap to build a Bouncy Castle for the cats!

So that's my art work for now, I have other rocks I can paint, but with this dark and oh-so-wet weather I'm hesitant to pain them. We'll see! Thanks for dropping by! Have a SUNSHINE day! Remember to always be your authentic self, and shine bright each and every day!

A Fluffy Pink and Violet Sunrise!

I took this shot early one morning. I love the combination of the pink and violet colours! Since taking this photo the neighbours have cut some of their tree's down, so I will get a better view of the sunrise. 

I don't have any artwork to share at the moment, but Lavinia have just released a new range of stamps! Of course I ordered them, lol! 

I spent two days in hospital this week after becoming unwell. My Potassium levels were way too low, so I spent two days back in hospital while they gave me some medication to bring my levels back up to a normal range. I got home just in time to order the new LS stamps! I think the range is called The Twilight Tea stamps. I've been watching their videos as LS is having their annual Summer Fairy Festival. They have it each year, and of course everyone dresses up for it. It's great to see all their live demoe's, and see what everyone is wearing. There's lot's of gorgeous sunflowers on their costumes. While they're having a stinking hot Summer, I'm down here in the Southern Hemisphere experiencing a very mil/warm Winter! Yes, we've had some icy cold days, but the weather has been really warm/humid. I am not complaining! 

It's a beautiful sunny day today, even the wild birds sound like they are celebrating this unusually warm weather.  We have had rain, some very heavy rain, but it's definitely a much warmer Winter than usual. Anyway, I just wanted to pop in and let you all know I am still here! I've been tired and haven't had much energy to create anything arty farty! But while I wait for my new stamps to arrive, I've been watching lot's of videos using the new stamps. One thing I like about LS stamps is, you can mix older tamps with new stamps and they all mix and match. Tracey is super talented and she always comes up with such amazing artwork for her stamps. The details on the stamps is incredible. Such fine delicate lines, and they all stamp beautifully.

Well that about wraps it up for today, I will be back! 

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

 

I Made These For Lunch!

 

I don't (usually) post stuff about recipes or cooking, but I just made these for lunch and thought I'd share some photo's!  I cooked them in my Air Fryer, and it was so quick and easy. (And tasty!) Here's the "recipe"...1egg, milk, chopped Bok Choy (or any greens you like), small tin of drained tuna, (Romeo got the tuna juice!) sweet chilly sauce to taste, salt, and grated cheese. (Whatever flavour you like) I mixed the ingredients, then filled 3 small tin foil containers. I popped them into the Air Fryer for around 8 minutes at 180C. If they aren't quite ready, just pop them back for another couple of minutes. They are HOT when cooked, so be careful removing them from the Air Fryer. I let them sit for a few minutes before taking it out of the tinfoil.

I added a couple of slices of cold tomato to them before I ate them. Yumm!

This last photo shows a close up of what they look like when cut open. I used what ingredients I had in the fridge, and you can use all kind of different foods. My appetite is still not the best at the moment, but it will get better over the next few days. I didn't have an exact 'recipe', so I can't give exact amounts I used. But it's not rocket science and is a very adaptable 'recipe. I'm sure I will make these again some time!

Ok so who's coming to wash and dry the dishes...?!  Oops, that would be me, lol!

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

New Card!

 

I followed a video from Jo Rice (LS) and created this card. I started off using some yellow Distress Oxide ink for the sun , then Spiced marmalade and Wild Honey, both DO inks. The green bit at the bottom of the card, well to be honest, I can't remember which green I used, lol! Ditto for the blue around the edge of the orange/yellow bit. Sorry! I stamped the tree (LS) and the wee bird last. The "Quiet Time" sticker is also from LS. There are also some gold mica splatters. I spent Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday in hospital this week, and my brain is a bit scrambled.  Feel free to ask any questions about the card and I will do my best to answer! Thanks for dropping by, have a SUNSHINE day! Remember to always be your authentic self and shine bright each and every day!

Julie (Nicola)

Happy Birthday to my niece, Julie (Nicola). Born in Hamilton New Zealand June 19 1969) Wishing you a fabulous day!

Love from your Aunty Shona. xxx

OMG! I Made A Card...or Two!

I have to give credit to the lovely Jo Rice (Head Designer for Lavinia Stamps) for kick starting my mojo, and creating this card (above and below). I watched a short video she had done. She made a tag, but I made mine into a card. Yes, that's artificial moss under the flowers. (Temu) The flowers are from Lavinia, as are the corner stamp. The butterflies are little Lavinia stickers. And if you look closely at the photos below, you can see a wee sticker that say's "Reindeer Moss", also from Lavinia Stamps. I created the Turquoise and Lemon back ground on water colour card using Brusho's. Cutting out the flowers wasn't fun😡. I could have used my scan 'n cut machine, but thought I'd use scissors thinking it wouldn't be too difficult. NEXT time I will use my scan' cut machine!

  

I have to give a huge thank you to Andrea (please visit her blog, Snippets by Andrea) for this card below. I saw on her blog the other day, that she had made some beautiful cards using a card pack/kit. I was so impressed by the cards she had created that I jumped online and checked my local craft store to see what kind of packs/kits they had. I found  this 'Simple Stories" Classic Pooh kit which I purchased. This is the first card from a kit that I have ever made. The instructions were clear and easy to follow. It's not perfect, but I had loads of fun and am happy with it. So thank you Andrea for giving my mojo a kick start!! I can now understand why people like these kits. The choice is amazing!

I have finally found a fabulous photo editing program and it came with my new laptop! I 'accidentally' found it while checking out what the different icons were .So now I am able to edit my photo's so much easier than I was. The pink background was made using the new program. It's called Microsoft Design. It has so many editing options to choose from. Romeos trip to the vet went well, he is taking some probiotic which he loves. It's a powder that I sprinkle on his food each morning. His food has gravy (which he loves) so I mix it in with that. His sneezing has gone as well. He had a half of an antihistamine each day for two days, and that has stopped him sneezing. So we are  happy little vegemite's again! I just wish the temperatures were a bit higher. We had three awesome sunny days, but today has more clouds. I think it is supposed to rain later, and again tomorrow. Don't forget to check out Andrea's blog - Snippets by Andrea.

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

 

I Cleaned My Brushes!

I decided to clean my stencil brushes. Here's how I did it! I used and old plastic bowl and an old sieve thing that I don't use any more. (Photo above) The sieve fits inside the owl, which was a bonus. I added some warm water and added a drop or two of dishwashing liquid. I put the brushes in the water one at a time, and gently 'scrubbed' them on the sieve. The sieve I used has small fine steel netting and is very gentle on my brushes. Once I had finished I cleaned the brushes under some warm water to get rid of any dishwashing liquid on them. Below is 2 of the brushes before I cleaned them. I have the brushes in three sizes, these are the 2 biggest ones.

Below are the 2 brushes after I cleaned them. There's some staining on the black one, but there's no actual 'colour' left on the brush. I haven't cleaned my brushes for four years, so I think it was time to give them a  clean. They are now drying on the window ledge in the

sun. YES! We have sun today! After days of heavy rain we finally have a sunny day!

 

The next couple of photo's are of the rocks I have made and painted, so far. I really need lot's of dry sunny days, but being Winter I know that's not likely to happen any time soon. The Turtle below measures about 2 1/2 inches in length, and around 1 1/2 inches in width. I also have a much larger mold of him, which I didn't realize come with the smaller Turtle. I like this smaller size and once I get time I will spray on some sealant and put him in amongst my pot plants. 

The Bee Kind rock is one I found in my garden. It was smooth and easy to paint. The M&M was made using plaster of Paris, which I found easy to mix and use. Unfortunately it broke when I took it out of the mold - so it became a broken M&M! It was nice and smooth to paint. (I'm using acrylic paint and Posca pens to draw with.  The pink rock was one I hand created without a mold, just to see how easy it was. The mix was too wet and sloppy and dry in an uneven way. No big deal, I'm still learning! You can see it isn't smooth compared to the ones done in a mold. The red heart one was created using cement, so it is heavier than the POP ones. Of course, there's also the ones I've made which aren't painted. There's the Pig, five heart ones, some flat some more rounded, a crouching kitten which  has a hollow part you can grow a small plant in, as well as a Hedgehog you can put a plant in. I also did a gnome one. I also have a few more molds yet to be used.

To be honest, I don't know why I am making all these - I hate colouring in! Ok so these rocks are all painted, but it means I still have to 'colour' in some way! Which bring me to my next topic. I have lost my mojo for making cards. It disappeared some time back. I am selling some of my Lavinia Stamps, so if anyone is interested, please leave me a message in the comments (or email me) and I will get back to you and discuss details. I still check the LS FB pages but nothing there is inspiring me. To be honest, it's stress. Romeo has some sneezing and I think he caught it from Wookie. Romeo is a total indoor cat, where as Wookie is an outdoor cat. She was sneezing recently when she was inside and whatever it was I think she passed it on to Romeo. So I will make an appointment for him to see the Vet. On top of that, I have been unwell for about 10-12 days. I've got a sore throat that isn't going away, digestive issues, not feeling hungry so not eating properly and feeling tired - oh the joy of having an immune system that doesn't work properly! On top of that it's Winter which I hate. I'm always cold (I have Reynauds which means my blood doesn't circulate properly). Right now my fingers are so cold they hurt. Wear gloves? I hear you say! Sounds like a good idea, but they don't work because there is no blood circulation in my fingers. It would be like putting gloves on a block of ice. The gloves wouldn't warm to block of ice because it has no blood circulation. I know it's hard to understand, and you don't have to! I'm just having a bit of a vent! I will stop here and get his posted!

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

 

 

A Cold Foggy Wet and Dark Day!

 So I haven't made any more molds because of the horrible wet weather we're having at the moment. Not only is it wet, it was very foggy this morning until around mid day. Then the rain came and forgot to leave! It's been so dark I've had the lights on all day. Have I mentioned how much I hate Winter?? (For anyone interested, I suffer from mild depression, mostly in Winter. Its called SADS, Seasonal affective Disorder and is due to not enough natural sunlight.   Check out my post called, "The Cloud" 18 August 2015. I wrote it one day after having a bad day. I hope you enjoy it!) Anyway, here are some random photo's I found on my SD card. 

Below is a rainbow from a couple of days back. It hung in the sky for about half an hour before it slowly faded and the sun came out.

Below is a photo of the Heron that visited me recently. I forgot to post it with the original post I did. What you can't see, is "Wookie" to the left, running to try to catch him! The Heron looked so graceful as he took off, his body seemed too big to get off the ground, but he made it with plenty of time to get away from Wookie!  Watching the Heron fly off  and into the air kind of reminded me of how planes take off.  You think they are way too big and heavy to get off the ground, but they do. And, to me, they also look graceful as they speed down the runway and then magically and gracefully lift off into the air. The Heron was not in any hurry when he took off, it's just that he was quite  a distance from Wookie and knew he was safe once he was airborne! 

Below is a photo I took one day of a wild Dove. He wasn't too bothered about me with my camera, and just sat there as if he knew I wanted to take his photo! 

The photo below is a scrap book page I did a few years ago. I am NOT a scrapbooker and struggle with creating pages. The photo's are some I took of my father. Sadly he passed away very suddenly in 1982. I was 23 at the time. My dad loved fishing, and these are a couple of photo's I took of him with the fish he caught, before we cooked them over the barbeque for dinner! The 2 bottom photos were taken at Mangawhai where we had a batch my father built. It was right by the ocean, and I spent most of my childhood and into my 20's growing up there. My family and I spent the holidays and weekends there.  The top photo is of my dad, and my dog Tami, and my brothers stock car in the background.

I took this next photo (below) of what I sometimes see in my bathroom window at night. It isn't house lights, and it isn't street lights. Any  houses/street lights cannot be seen because of thick bush and tree's in the way. The 'dotty' things are on the glass. I've seen this image all my life, it's not something new. From my observations it seems to have something to do with the full moon, which is tomorrow for me. I think the image looks like some kind of religious image.  Anyway, I find it interesting and bit mysterious!

P.S...I have some new molds...!

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