365 Cards - #45

Well it's me again. . . another day another card hehehe.  Because of the time difference I seem to just get one made and then there is another one to do but I must say it is fun trying to decide what theme, paper, stamps etc to go with and create something entirely different each day.  Today was a three fold card day so here is my card for today. . .

I went for an oriental theme today and I really love it!

This is the inside of the card which I don't normally decorate but on this occasion I chose to do it. . . . go figure!!

Well that's it for another day I hope you enjoy my entry for today which I really enjoyed making and in the meantime . . .

Walk about your day with beauty.

The Gypsy

Supply List: SU! Whisper White, Basic Black and Real Red cardstock. Kaisercraft Sakura Park DP series paper. SU! Eastern Blooms and Short & Sweet stamp sets. SU! Real Red marker. Staz On black ink.  SU! Black brads and SU! oval punch.

Mojo Monday #82 365 Cards Day 44

Well Bloggers after joining into Mojo Monday last week for the first time I then decided to venture further and try for day 44 on the 365 Cards blog so then I had to decide what I was going to do to make one card work for both, and this is the outcome.  Please enjoy. . . 

I am so glad that I have decided to take the leap of faith and dive right into challenges it keeps one on track and totally motivated. . . YAY!!

In the meantime . . .

Walk about your day with beauty.

The Gypsy

Items Used: Stamps - Amazing Creations Butterfly, Penny Black - Happy Birthday, Hero Arts - Large Heart and small background heart.  The last 3 stamps are all from my collection which is over 14-18 years old!!!!  Cardstock - SU! Close To Cocoa, Pretty In Pink, Very Vanilla.  DP - Kaisercraft Pretty In Pink series.  SU! Stamp Pads - Close To Cocoa, Chocolate Chip, Pretty In Pink and black Staz-On.  Chocolate chip ribbon American Craft Company.  Tools - Scallop Border punch, Square Scallop punch both SU!  $50.00 is mine from my purse lol.

Creative Space Thursday

Well Bloggers it's that time of the week where I take a peek at other peoples creative spaces and they in turn can take a peek at mine if they have a mind to.  I hope you all enjoy my new look blog which my lovely daughter Courtney created for me.  I absolutely adore my new blog it is more me than my old one and I am so happy that Courtney took the time out of her busy schedule to create it for me. . . thanks my love.

This week has been full on with me taking a leap of faith and putting myself out there in cyberspace by putting my work up on challenge blogs.  You know how it goes people. . . you think you do good work but you are afraid to put yourself out there in case other people don't think so.  So I procrastinated and then I procrastinated some more until I decided that I would just jump off the precipice and do it and now I want to go on many challenges lol.  Once you open the door that's it folks there ain't no turnin' back.  I thought it was high time I stopped chatting to myself and saying things like "Geez Shell you did a good one there" and "I think that is better than the one I saw on that blog" hehehe I guess we have all been there and now it's my turn.  So without further ado here is my space for this week. . . . enjoy!!

This pic has some mini canvas's, some new ribbon, some sponge daubers, glue tape and the one colour item in the pic is my new hand-coloured cardstock which I am very proud of and the flowers were also hand coloured etc by me.  Which if you look at the post before this one you will see more hand-coloured cardstock and another hand-coloured flower that I did.  I also purchased an unmounted scrolly type alphabet today whilst down in Armidale and some vintage 3D embellishments.

This pic is a closer look and is in colour.  What can I say it is late at night lol.

This pic has the card I made for my challenge on Monday this week.  Well bloggers that is it for me it is now 11.15pm and I am about to head off to bed but I wanted to get this post in as I missed out the last two weeks.  Don't forget to pop on over to Kootoyoo's blog to check out the other creative spaces.

In the meantime though. . . . .

Walk about your day with beauty.

The Gypsy

Mojo Monday Challenge 81

Well bloggers I decided to have a go at a challenge instead of just viewing them each week. I have been too unsure of myself to join in as all the entries are spectacular but today I thought bugger it I'm going to do it this time. So here is my entry for this week. It is the first challenge I have ever taken part in so what better way than to join in to Mojo Monday.

Here is a close up of the spotted daisy that I just learnt how to do yesterday after watching Gina K Designs Stamp TV technique for this week. You should take a look at it here I find this source amazing.

I used  SU Scribbles stamp set, SU Ruby Red, More Mustard and Very Vanilla cardstock,Kaisercraft "Bohemian Threads" DP collection, SU inks are More Mustard, Ruby Red, Close to Cocoa, River Rock (deceased), SU More Mustard and Ruby Red markers, SU brads and ribbon, unknown tile embellishment and Bella daisy, Tools used are the SU tool kit and sponge daubers. Now the mottled, marbled background cardstock I made myself *grins* using sponge daubers, River Rock, Close to Cocoa and More Mustard stamp pads and just had fun with it. I LOOOOOVE how it turned out. Well that's it for me on this occasion but in the meantime. . . .
Walk about your day with beauty.
The Gypsy

New Classes

Hi Bloggers,
In transferring all the posts over to my new blog I have misplaced one or two and one of those being my post on upcoming classes. I have new classes coming as soon as I hear back from the suppliers so please stay tuned you will not be disappointed.

The new classes will include one on using metal to enhance your project (this product is absolutely amazing people). I will also be teaching a class using Tim Holtz's range of products ie. Distress Inks, Alcohol Inks, Stickles, Perfect Pearls and his amazing range of Idealogy products (AMAZING). Another class will be utilising Suze Weinberg's UTEE products. . . wait until you see this product. As a matter of fact wait until you see all the products and what you can do with them. Bloggers it will blow you away I promise you that!! I am just waiting to hear back from the suppliers and then it will be "Thunderbirds GO"!!!
In the meantime though. . . .
Walk about your day with beauty.
The Gypsy

Brand New Blog and New Look

Well bloggers, here is my new look blog that my beautiful talented daughter Courtney created for me is is not fabulouso? I also decided to go with Blogspot rather than Wordpress it just seemed logical to me. I am so impressed with what my daughter has created and I sat by her side and watched, amazed. Thankyou so much Courtney.

This is the beginning of a new look and who knows where this journey will take me, I know I am certainly up for it. I have been really drawn to everything vintage lately which is why I changed the whole look of my blog. Over the coming weeks I will be fine-tuning things so please bear with me I promise it will all be worth it.
In the meantime. . . .
Walk about your day with beauty
The Gypsy

Creative Space Thursday

Hey there bloggers, Well we all know what today is now don't we. I am rather late getting mine up there as I have been in Armidale all day today and only just got home. Courtney and I went into this wool shop called WOW and we all got to talking and can I just say how proud I am of my daughter Courtney (Her Little Knitting Nook) as when the ladies in the shop found out who she was "She Knits Slowly" on Ravalry they went bonkers with "Oh my god wow I am so excited to meet you etc etc etc" Well my chest just swelled as this meant that Courtney was making a name for herself with her beautiful wool.....Honey I am sooooo proud of you!!! (I know she will read this lol)

Anyway here is my creative space for this week. I am in the middle of making this wonderful little gift tote which when finished will hold 8 handmade cards inside and on the pouches on the outside will hold a pen, a bookmark (handmade), a handmade notepad and of course a luxury chocolate. This is the perfect gift for someone. Here is the first pic. . .

This is my little grandaughter Sophia helping Nanny with her stamps lol (well she happened to be in my creative space this afternoon!

These are going to be the holders (transparent) for the inside to hold cards and envelopes. The instructions for this tote are under the transparency.

This is the beginning of the tote of course it is going to be pink and brown!

This is it closed. There will be lovely printed heavy duty paper pockets on each side of the outer tote. It looks amazing when it is complete and I will post a finished pic next week as well as some other gift ideas that I will have finished by then.

This is my work tote and every time Sophie is in my craft room I have to lift it off the ground as she loves to grab stuff out of it and with sharp implements in there I cannot afford to let her play with it. But I love it and it holds so much!

Well that's my space for this week bloggers but make sure you pop on over to Kootoyoos blog

to see all the other beautiful and creative spaces for this week.

In the meantime though. . .

Walk about your day with beauty.

The Gypsy

Creative Space

Hey there well it is that time again and because I am doing a Cert IV Small Business Management I have been absent the last two weeks in getting my space up to Kootoyoos blog which has been upsetting as I enjoy peeking into others creative spaces. So I am here today and I have just finished making these delightful little gift boxes. . . So take a look.

I made this one for a birthday gift for a friend and filled it with lovely Darrel Lea chocolates!!

and here are three others I made because I liked them lol

This is a different view of the gift boxes. I cannot decide which one I liked the most that was why I kept making them to see which papers looked best. Love to hear which one/s you like.

Don't forget to check out all the other lovely creative spaces over at Kootoyoos blog.

In the meantime . . .

Walk about your day with beauty

The Gypsy

My Surprise has Arrived!!! (long post)

Hey there bloggers!
Now I have to set the scene for you. . . I heard the postie arrive out the front and I wondered if he was going to bring a parcel in. He was taking his sweet time so I eventually went outside because I could not contain myself any longer. I checked the letterbox and realised that I had not taken the mail out from the day before (I'm a bit behind lol) and I noticed that the postie (Australia Post parcel guy) was over the road talking to someone in a car with a parcel in his hands that happened to have an overseas sticker on it and I knew that was my Tim Holtz surprise!!!!!!! I opened my mail and pretended to read it all the while watching the postie on the other side of the road cursing under my breath hehe. So I had to open another letter while I was waiting. By the third letter I was about ready to rip his throat out lol. He came over the road and said as he was coming "I suppose you are waiting for me" and I pretended again (I'm good at it) and said "Oh what, no I was just reading my mail" So he the smart *&%$ said "I guess you don't want this then?" I looked at it and realised that it was indeed my surprise parcel so I yelled at him and squealed and said "YES I DO WANT IT, I HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR IT" Duh I could have slapped the smirk off his face but instead I thanked him politely as one does lol and then ran inside with my treasure. I ripped it open carefully as I wanted to preserve the post bag after all it was personally signed by The Timster himself. Take a look . . .

See I told you hehehe!!! I pulled out the packages and this is what I found inside. . .

Check it out!!

Cool vintage corners. . .

and Fragments!! I am super excited about these

and Metallic Numbers!! Ooohhh what I can do with these

and finally Journaling Tickets! I had not seen these before so I cannot wait to use them.

Now how cool was that? That is a great pressie to win don't you think? My sincere heartfelt thanks go to the Timster himself for choosing me as a final day winner. I have been patting my new supplies ever since I have received them. . . sad isn't it! When I get his Distress Inkpads and his Alcohol Inks, craft mats and applicators I will open these pretties up and use them but until I can do real justice to them they are just there for my sheer viewing pleasure *deep sigh* I should have my supplies by next week I think.

Now while I was going through my pic files I found this one that I took over Christmas while we were visiting my family on the Gold Coast. Take a look . . .

This is a pic of my beautiful nephews and great nephew and my absolutely wonderful, beautiful sister Deb. I love her to bits as I do my nephews.

And finally, my beautiful grandson Elijah. One could fall into his eyes as they are the most delicious brown pools. I absolutely adore him as I do my two grandaughters.

My truly delightful grandaughter Sophia. This pic was only taken the other day. I will be staying at my daughters house from Friday to Tuesday so I can get new pics of my other little grandaughter Lily so I will post some new pics of her later in the week.

In the meantime. . . .

Walk about your day with beauty.

The Gypsy

I WON!

WOW I cannot believe that I won something! I am a HUGE fan of Tim Holtz. I think he is a master at what he does and he alone is living proof that when you follow your dreams and don't let naysayers get you down you make your dreams a reality. He creates the most amazing stuff, each time I watch a video or see the finished article on his blog my jaw just drops to the ground. Anyhow he has brought out new goodies and to say a big thankyou to his bloggers he ran a contest for five whole days with five winners each day and all you had to do was make a comment on his blog. Now I normally check his blog out daily but have never been game enough to comment (I mean it's Tim Holtz- The God of Goodness), but this time I bit the bullet and commented and it felt good!! I made a comment each day but did not get chosen until . . . the last day!! I happened to get out of bed and went to make my comment and realised that I was number 39 and not 200 and something which it normally was when I got to comment even though it was the same time virtually each day. Being number 39 to me was like being first. So I made my comment and the next morning, yesterday in fact I got up to see if I had won and there it was. . . . . winner number two, ME. Well I ran around the house doing the happy dance yelling I won, I won, I won me some Tim Holtz goodness. I rang family but no one except for Ashleigh appreciated it as much as me and that's because she loves him as well. In fact she said to me "It's a shame that our culture doesn't have arranged marriages Mum" How cool is that? So I will be crash tackling the postie for the next couple of weeks while I wait for the surprise to arrive in the post and then I will take photos and post it up on my blog so stay tuned won't you.

In the meantime. . .

Walk about your day with beauty.

The Gypsy

Road Trip

We went on a road trip yesterday to Tamworth and on the way I stopped at Uralla to visit a little scrapping/come fruit shop (husband and wife team) to buy some embellishments. As you can see by the first pic my purchases were indeed worth the drive. . .

Then when we got to Tamworth Ash decided that she did not want to buy a pair of jeans so I said ok lets go to Spotlight then. Bad idea going to Spotlight they have re-stocked their shelves. . . bad idea!!!

I purchased materials, patterns for little girls/toddlers, dolly pegs for my ribbons, a medium to add to acrylic paints to allow me to paint onto fabrics, buttons, buttons and more buttons and of course some lace and rhinestones and no trip is without purchasing some papers both in plain and print. They are just into Spotlight, well I am assuming as I have never seen them there before.

Then on the way home about 45kms out of Tamworth (we still had 2 hours in front of us) the traffic had stopped. A police officer drove up to every car and said that we had to turn around and take a detour through Walcha and then onto Uralla etc. Well that was going to take us nearly 2 hours out of our way and then another 11/2 hours from Uralla. He said you can take a dirt road and come out just before Bundarra and go through Kingstown, which is the option we chose. By the time we got home it was 8.15pm. It took us all up 4 hours to get home when it is normally a two and a half hour trip. Apparently the whole road was blocked off due to a major road accident and would be blocked off for over two hours.

So on the way home on the dirt road I took some pics. . . now they are not the best as I was in the passenger seat and the DH was driving doing 85kms per hour and on a dirt road that is hairy.

Nothing but green and brown for 80kms!!

Got the front dash in this one. . .

Fast moving cows??. . . no not really fast moving car more like it!

Well that's it for the day bloggers I will probably have more tomorrow depending how I feel as me and the two girls (Ash and Courtney) are going on a girls night out and I may be feeling ordinary tomorrow.

In the meantime. . .

Walk about your day with beauty.

The Gypsy

Weekend Markets

Hey there bloggers. I thought I might share with you today some pics that I have meant to post but life got in the way. It was of two weekend markets that my bestie Sonya and I went to. We are both doing really well at the markets and now that people know we are there all the time at each market we are getting loyal re-purchasers back time and time again, which is excellent. So without further ado here is our little weekend stall that we run. . . .

These are the last markets held by the river for 10 weeks. The next market photos are in the main street. Sonya is the one in red and I of course am in purple.

These markets are held in one of the two main streets in town. The upper shelves were made by my husband after I explained to him what I wanted. This was the first market that we used them and I sold so much more this time around. . . it must have been the new look and the height that some of the stock was presented at.

We are always looking for ways to improve our stall which Courtney is usually at as well but because she had sold out of her wool she didn't see the point in coming but she will be back soon lol. Stay tuned for the photos of when Courtney comes back.

In the meantime. . .

Walk about your day with beauty.

The Gypsy

Creative Space Thursday

Well it's that time of the week again and today I am trying to get a vintage mini album done as well as embellishing two journals ready for sale. Why don't you pop on over to Kootoyoo's blog and check out all the other creative spaces. There are always inspirational spaces to drool over hehehe. Okay here goes for my space today. . . .

This is the vintage mini album I am trying to get finished!!!

A close up of the album. . .

Two of the journals I am embellishing to get up for sale.

Just some of the embellishments I have to work with in the purple tote on my desk.

Well there you have it my Creative Space for this week. . . Enjoy!! Don't forget to pop on over to Kootoyoos blog for other creativity and inspiration.

Until next time. . .

Walk about your day with beauty.

The Gypsy

Stamp Camp

Hey there bloggers, I have to tell you about my weekend away last week (I know I have been slow to get it up here). My daughter and myself went down to Lake Macquarie District to spend a weekend stamping and creating at the home of the most beautiful woman and her bestie, you would ever meet. . . Shirley and Jan. Nothing was too much for these two and they made sure that each attendee had the best time, although there were some personality clashes this time around and some annoyances which I will leave out, don't want to spoil the story with the details. We travelled down from Inverell on Thursday and came back on Sunday. There was lots and lots of laughter and I taught a class in tin decorating which was great. I will add a pic to show you the finished and not so finished tins further in the post.

I learnt some new techniques which is always a bonus and my daughter Ashleigh had the best time as this was her first camp. She made some amazing stuff and all were impressed by her talent. Shirley is perhaps in her late 60's and soooo funny, kind, straightforward and genuine. We played a joke on poor Shirley and the results were outstanding. Judge for yourself and see. . . . (for those who don't like a touch of naughtiness please don't go any further, you have been warned ok?)

I told you so!!!!!! Enough said ok?

Jan is in the background there and some of the women busy at work.

Hard at it again. . . . .

Gail and Kelly showing their best side lol. . .

The most delightful Hummingbird cake that Shirley and Jan made

for Craig's birthday (Robyn's husband both from Amazing Creations )

This is one of the cards I made on that weekend and I gifted it

to Shirley as she liked it sooooo much!!

The beautiful tins that everyone made during my tin class

Some are finished and some aren't......Isn't the pink and black one beautiful

(middle one bottom row)

Well I guess that is all I have for this post but later today I will be adding new stock to the shop so don't forget to stop by and check it out. In the meantime thankyou for stopping by and saying hello.

Walk about your day with beauty

Michelle (The Gypsy)