Hi everyone!

My name is Karen, I live on the (sometimes) sunny NSW Central Coast, have a partner who has three great kids, have 4 1/2 dogs (share one with the partner), and am discovering the world of paper crafts and scrapbooking!

Started scrapbooking approx 5 yr ago, and have realised it's an ever evolving craft ... so many new things, techniques etc coming out all the time - it's hard to keep up! For example, recently discovered Copic markers - oh what fun we are having now! As a consequence, my house is always one of organised chaos lol.

I fund my hobbies (or habits, I haven't decided which yet) working as a pet groomer here on the coast, which also caters for my love of animals. I have been showing dogs since I was 8 yr old, and will never be with a canine companion. Next year, hopefully one of the girls will be having puppies - a whole new subject to scrap!

Monday, November 29, 2010

Kraftin Kimmie Seeing Spots challenge

I love my Kraftin Kimmie stamps - my first ever stamp was "Gabrielle", and I was given her as part of a kit for my first Copic markers class. So when I found this challenge blog, I was so excited!
Anyway, I decided I had to participatein the challenge for this week - "Seeing Spots". I have used Kraftin" Kimmie "Virginia" as I'm making Christmas cards at the minute, with a Bazzill Bling card stock, Fancy Pants "Christmas Morning" spotted paper, Kaisercraft pearl bling, rubons and holly stamp.
Copics were used to colour both stamps:
Holly : G21, G24, G28, R32, R35, R37
"Virginia" : clothes - R32, R35, R37, G02, G05, G07, hair - E31, E33, E35, skin E00, E51, E53, miscellaneous - B93, B95, B97, BV00, BV02, BV04, B00, B12, B05, RV000, RV02, RV04, YG00, YG03, YG06
Thanks for coming to look!

Sunday, November 28, 2010

Bookmarks for Christmas

Thanks to Dawn, my Copics teacher, I received the notes for a class which had to be cancelled, on colouring pleats and feathering. I haven't had to use the feathering technique here, but I hope I got the pleats right! The blue based bookmark is my first attempt, which I am using myself. The pink and purple I am adding as stocking stuffers for friends - but I coated the stamped image with dimensionalmagic, and I'm not completely taken with the result, so may have to redo them.






Sunday, November 21, 2010

Jumping jellybeans with the Lollipop Ladies

Well, the bug has well and truly bitten, so here is the second card, coloured with Copics, that I am submitting in an online challenge blog ...

Copics:
Hair: E31, E33, E35
Face: E00, E51, E53
Clothes/shoes: R32, R35, R37, RV000, RV02, RV04, YR02, YR04, YR07, YG00, YG03, YG06
Balloons: Rv000, Rv02, RV04, YR02, YR04, YR07, YG00, YG03, YG06

Thanks heaps for looking!

Monday, November 15, 2010

Think blue is my fave colour ...

his is a Christmas card I have just done for my first online blog challenge! The theme of the challenge is to use non-traditional Christmas colours, so as I am limited with the number of Copics I own, I elected to use soft blues with a dash of lilac :-)

Hair: E33, E35, E37
Skin: E00, E51, E53
Dress: B93, B95, B97, BV00, BV02, BV04
Misc.: E71, E77, G02, G07, C-1

I have also used Bazzill Bling cardstock, Kaisercraft pearls, Kaisercraft paper, Christina Re paper, Green Tara flowers ( I have tipped the edges of the rose with B93 the gone over that with Kindy Glitz) and ribbon from my stash. I also edged each paper, including the Xpress It paper, with B95. The paper which seems cream in colour is the Christina Re paper, and has a shimmer with a very slightly flocked image, but I don't think the camera picked that up! (It's a miserable day here, so the pic isn't that great at all)

Challenges: Mad For Markers : Christmas card using non traditional colours
Thanks for stopping thave a look!

Sunday, November 7, 2010

I know, I know, I don't post all the time!

It's late sunday night, and I have finally found time to post my usual weekly update :-)
We had Katelyn this weekend - and boy, was she in an awesome mood Friday night! So happy, helpful, doing as she was told - everyone enjoyed the night. Mind you, sort of guessed it wouldn't last, and by Saturday morning we were back into "it's all about me" mode, which is how we expect her to be.
I worked saturday, so I did manage a break for at least most of the day, but by the time I got here late saturday, Katelyn was in "full demand" mode, and basically stayed that way for the rest of the weekend. She, being her mother's only child (but one of three when here) doesn't get that she isn't any more important than anyone else ... and she isn't the centre of attention like she is with her mum. As she grows up, I know she will start to understand this, but at the moment it's extremely frustrating.
However, she does like my cards! I made one especially for her last visit, and this weekend, she asked me to make two - a get well card for a school friend who has been in hospital, and a birthday card for a school friend whose birthday she is attending on her next weekend with us.
I thought cardmaking would be the perfect chance to get her to slow down a little, and get out of full-blown "Kate" mode, and it sort of did. After, no one uses my Copics except me! So, slight change in plan - I make the card, do all the colouring, cutting etc, but she goes through my stash, and "designs" the card - that way, she has a huge input, but doesn't get her mitts on my pens :-)
So, first thing tomorrow, I will post Katelyn's "creations" - don't look at me if you don't think the colours look too flash together - remember, her choice, not mine!

Monday, November 1, 2010

Copic heaven!

Anyone out there into Copic markers - visit Mad For Markers (site, blog or Facebook page) and follow the new blog hop! Be ready to see some amazing work done by their DT ... truly inspirational stuff ... there are some amazingly talented crafters out there!
Mad for Markers blinky

Another weekend goes by ...

Had a nice, normal, peaceful weekend this weekend ...
Saturday, of course, had to work, but it was a good day ... nothing stressful, a lot of laughs - the way work should be (and why I enjoy it so much!)
Due to the terrible weather last weekend, the Putt Putt Regatta at Davistown was postponed ... we did have a forecast for rain this sunday, but luckily, it held off until the end of the day, so we were able to have a quick visit to the Regatta . Spied some beautiful hand made wooden putt putts, canoes and kayaks ... so much talent!
Recently, we adopted a greyhound from Greyhounds 4 U here on the coast, and a lunch was organised at the Bellyfish Cafe at Terrigal ... so we spent a lovely afternoon with some fellow greyhound adoptive parents and their dogs (its a dog friendly cafe on the beach front) followed by a pleasant stroll along the esplanade and up to the Haven, to then visit the Terrigal Food and Wine Festival ... a nice normal day :-) The dogs all behaved brilliantly too, and were a credit to their breed.