Not lost, just busy . . .

I honestly haven't had time to think since about Monday. Work has invaded my life in a big way, it's an urgent job so hopefully that won't always be the case. It's been a bit of a struggle balancing everything that I need to to and want to do, but I'm sure I'll get there eventually.

Here are some cards I made last week.

Supplies: Stampin' Up - Paper: Choc Chip, Really Rust, Urban Garden.

Stamp Sets: Boho Backgrounds, Enjoy Every Moment, Inks: Really Rust, Old Olive.

Brad - Making Memories, Bling - Kazzaz, Ribbon - Sullivans Bow & Tie.

Supplies: Stampin up: Paper - Night of Navy, Stamp Sets: Pun Fun, Enjoy Every Moment,

Inks: Versamark, Clear Embossing Powder, Pastels. Glitter - Kindyglitz

Work has slowed for a day while my storyboard is examined. Today it's still been busy, I've been into Fitzroy to buy some paper supplies for an upcoming workshop - always fun. Tonight I have my first Stampin' Up workshop, which will hopefully go as planned. We are making Post-It note holders.

My Dad is here this afternoon making some shelves for our very small European laundry (i.e. cupboard!!). Space is of a premium in out tiny abode and these shelves are going to hopefully free up some badly needed space in our tiny kitchen. Bailey and Nathan are having so much fun 'helping'. Each has a hammer and is banging happily away on a scrap piece of wood - they are in Bob the Builder heaven. I'm not too sure about Dad though.

Hope you are all having an excellent day.

Some things I love

All supplies Stampin' Up except eyelets, which are Making Memories

I love this stamp and this technique. This stamp is from the stamp set Heartfelt Thanks. The techniques is pastel chalks blended using the blender pen. (Thanks Yvonne for showing me this technique!!). It is subtle and delicate, like the flower.

Image from Susan Skarsgard

I also love abstract calligraphy; the ability to manipulate script and to push the boundaries of what is image and what is text (the crux of my Masters thesis!). I am lucky enough to be attending a workshop (ConText: letters/language/meaning - an exploration of calligraphy in the 21st century, as a modern and relevant form) with Susan Skarsgard in early July and I am very excited about what I might learn. Other abstract calligraphers that I love are Brody Neuenschwander and Yves Leterme, both of whom live in Bruges, Belgium.

Why not share what you love with me, I'd love to know.

A good day is one where I get to do calligraphy for two hours, so you know today is going to be a good one. Hope it is good for you too!

Cards

Finally, some cards. These are a couple that I have been playing around with. Simple designs, which is what I like.

Supplies: Stampin' Up: Chocolate chip cardstock; Enjoy the moment stamp set; Boho backgrounds stamp set . Other: White cardstock; white embossing powder, clear embossing powder, Versamark stamp pad; brads, Allison Ellis Glitter; Kindyglitz; corner rounder - creative memories.

I was actually playing around mixing some glitter into some clear embossing powder, unfortunately the embossing powder I have is about 15 years old and not quite what it was! Needless to say I have ordered some more!

Supplies: Stampin' Up: Bravo burgundy, kraft cardstock; Upsey Daisy stamp set; Stampin' Write. Other: Striped paper, brad, corner rounder - creative memories.

This is actually my first card using stamps, hard as though that is to believe. I've always hand drawn my own images, which is fun but can be cumbersome. I am absolutely in love with the Upsey Daisy stamp set used in this image. You can bet you'll be seeing it a bit more!

Oopsie!

Brush calligraphy: gouache on cartridge paper

I got really excited about this piece in calligraphy class yesterday . . . and then I looked a bit closer and realised that there are a few typo's in there!!! Unfortunately no amount of editing can fix this. Still it was a practice for a layout that I'm working on, which will be done on cold-pressed watercolour paper. I must say that I am loving brush lettering, it has endless possibilities.

I'm working on some cards to post, just to prove that I can stamp! Time and balance are two things I'm working on at the moment. The best time for me to do anything is when the twin munchkins crash and burn at about 7:15pm each night. From about 5 pm onwards it is seriously out of control in this house, trying to get tea made, everyone fed, boys bathed and ready for bed and trying really hard to get some quiet time before bed. Andrew and I have almost given up on this, the boys just go crazy, sumo wrestling, pretending to be dogs - you've got to see Nathan say to Bailey, sit, stay, good boy!! Bailey does it all with his tongue hanging out. It's hard not to laugh, but at the same time by the time they are tucked in bed, Andrew and I literally collapse on the couch in a heap and just the thought of being creative is too much to bear.

I'll work it out, just as I'll work out how to get rid of the sh*t that's currently everywhere in this room I'm typing in. I will win the clutter war!!

Have good day!

Settling in

Watercolour on canvas

This is a work-in-progress. I'm still undecided if I want to add anymore text to the spirals and the heart needs some more definition, I'm just not sure what kind. This is something I've learned recently about the creative process, sometimes you just need to be with the art work before moving on. You need to let it go, come back to it and then decide if it needs anything more. Rome wasn't built in a day and neither should my art work!!

Life is changing around here. I'm now back in paid employment, initially casually for 12 weeks and then hopefully on a permanent contract. I've done my first copy-edit in about four years and I love it. Yes, I know you thinking What The! I love having my dictionery and my style guide next to me, using the correct copy-editing marks, and I lurrrrrrvvvvveeee my red pen!!! In fact I love copy-editing much, much more than Instructional Design, but sometimes to pay the bills you've gotta do both.

I've also recently become a Stampin' Up demonstrator and I'm trying to get my head around that, playing with the stamps and thinking about running some workshops. I'll start posting cards and layouts as well as artwork as I progress. So, if you are interested I'd be happy to take an online order.

Bailey and Nathan are growing up. We have now moved onto Lego, which I think is very exciting. At this stage they are using Lego that belonged to Andrew, so that makes it VERY VERY OLD. I'm sure that no doubt we will continue to grow this stash and make more clutter in our house.

Time to pick kidlets up from kinder, have a fantastic day!

Worth holding on . . .

Acrylic paint and ink on canvas paper. Words: Eleanor Roosevelt

Sometimes it's worth holding onto things that you are not happy with when you have finished. This piece is part of a larger piece that I didn't like. Yesterday while searching for some canvas paper for a new project I found it and thought actually I like this little bit, let's cut it out. So I did and this is the result, which I quite like.

With any type of creative endeavour sometimes you need to leave it awhile and come back to. Working on something for so long can skew your perspective.

The collage project that I was working on went in the bin - sometimes you just have to admit defeat!!! But it brought about a host of other ideas, one of which I'm exploring now. That's one of the things I love about the creative process, it's all about experimenting and exploring. Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't, but our failures and mistakes can sometimes blossom into opportunities.

Life has been incredibly hectic around here. Today is the first day I think I've come up for breath! That of course will stop in about ten minutes when I leave to pick up Bailey and Nathan from kinder, then it's come home, get ready for swimming, go swimming, come home, have some lunch, then off to the doctor for four-year-old vaccinations - oh the joy!!!

It's important to realign your perspective, dust yourself off when something doesn't work, and to keep trying, or as Andrew says, 'Keep hanging in there!'

Back again

Walnut ink and ruling pen with watercolour on Canson Mi Tientes

Okay so I haven't blogged for quite a while! I've just been out of control, overwhelmed and generally struggling a bit. So, sometimes something has to go, and it this case it was blogging, and art. But I'm starting to get a handle on it again and thought I would post this piece. I scanned it in a while ago and wasn't sure if I liked it or not, but now that I look at it it is quite interesting.

Currently working on a collage of words, paint and found items so will be interesting to see how that works given I haven't done anything like that before. Really what I'm trying to do is combine all of the things that I love and to express how I've been feeling and some of the things that have been floating through my brain.

Also been trying to get up-to-date with my MA thesis, which as of the moment has no words!! Still I have almost finished re-working my plan and hopefully will be cooking with gas from there.

If you have some time today and you're interesting in stamping I recommend that you head over to Jennifer McGuire's blog and check out the videos using Ranger Distress Ink. I found these to be really interesting since I have some of this ink and I've not been sure how to use it effectively. Jennifer is a fantastically creative stamper and card maker and I love checking out here blog on a regular basis. Enjoy!