Friday 28 May 2010

Collections

A couple of weeks ago I went into my local scrapbook store to buy a versamark pen. Just one pen. Well I saw the latest range from Collections, fell in love with it (as I always do) and spent way more money than I intended. It has taken a while for me to show these images because I had to charge the batteries for the camera and then wait for the right light in which to take them. You know how it is! LOL

Anyway here are two of my creations. The base of the second one is collections but the papers etc are left overs from something else I made.

Yes this is not collections. I made this ATC about a month ago and thought it was time I put it on here.

Well I am now heading out to the Studio to make some more punchart pages for my punchart demo book. If you don't know what I am talking about then head on over to my other blog Stamping Artlore.

Tuesday 25 May 2010

Interesting Characters

This morning started out like every other morning. Get up, wash off the night face and put on the day face, do the hair etc etc. It wasn't until I jumped in the car and headed to work that I met some interesting characters along the way.

First one appeared as I waited to exit onto a main road off my side street. I could have gone but decided to wait for a little white car that was going a lot slower than I first thought. As it went passed I noticed the driver. I would say that he was a large tall man because there didn't seem to be much room around him. He was also seated so low down I swear he must have been sitting on the floor, but his head was still close to the roof. His posture was the cracker, he looked poised for the car to take off in a burst of speed at any moment. I can honestly say that this did not happen. In fact I think he slowed considerably once I got behind him. No this was not an old man, probably in his 30's-40's and wearing one of those fluro yellow safety jackets.

Eventually I pulled over to get petrol. There were already two cars at the bowser. The one in front was getting ready to leave, and the one behind was preparing himself to get out and pump the fuel. I thought if the 2nd guy had any sense he would wait until the other car drove off, then move up and allow me to use the second pump while he used the first. The first car drove off and I thought the second would drive forward but instead he got out of the car. He was late teens or very early 20's and still very much asleep looking at the state of his face. I think he forgot his belt because I saw most of his undies as well. He gets half way around his car to the bowser when he realises I am there. Slowly he walks back to his car and moved it forward. When I got out of my car I thanked him for his kindness. He smiled and then dropped his keys. A few minutes later he dropped the lid to his fuel tank which then rolled under his car. He managed to get the fuel pumping without spilling it and proceeded to text on his phone while pumping. I am sure I have been told that is dangerous. Don't know what happened to him after that because I left before him.

Finally I get to where I park the car for work. Picture a line of cars all parked next to each other with 4 spare parking bays at the end. One lady (older than me and clearly needing more lessons in parking) decides she wants to park in the first free car bay next to the last parked car. She has driven a bit too far forward and wants to reverse so she holds up the 4 cars behind her waiting. She has a good 3m (6 foot) gap between her and the car behind but she doesn't move an inch. The car behind gives up and turns away to go park elsewhere (there is no where else). This is what she had been waiting for and now with a gap of at least 3 car lengths between her and me (I was the next car) she backs up all of 1 foot and then proceeds to park taking up 2 car parks. I take this rare opportunity to get passed her and park in the third vacant car park. I jump out, walk up the hill, fight with the machine to get it to accept my credit card and walk back to the car with my ticket. This took around 5 minutes (fussy machine) and she is still reversing, moving forward, reversing, moving forward and holding up those who are hoping to get to the last 2 parking spots. Finally she decides she is straight enough and gets out. As I walk away I notice that she is still as crooked as a dogs hind leg. What I don't get is why that car park. It would have been easier for her to take one of the others rather than reversing and pulling in at an awkward angle. There is a Facebook page for Perths 'cleverest' car parking. If only I had a video camera to post it there.

Sunday 23 May 2010

African Stamps

Sulea introduced me to Beeswax stamping website. They have some really great stamps. I ordered some (couldn't resist) and they arrived last week. I got them unmounted as they were cheaper and mounted them on Thursday night. One of my favourites is a lion laying down having a sleep. With my new found technique of sponging inks onto paper (ok old technique, I just haven't used it before) I decided to try and do a lovely image with the lion in the foreground, zebra running in the background, and a tree or two. The result = 2 flops, one half flop and an almost there image.

The problem is that the stamps have great detail and therefore you need to use the finer inks like versa fine. I only have black and brown and the lion would be too dark in the black but was kind of getting lost in the brown.

This image is the 4th attempt and the almost there one. I love how the tree worked out but the lion is still a little on the muted side. I probably should have done him in black ink but my first intention was middle of the day not sunrise. Notice the lack thereof of Zebra's running as well.


The zebras were on the half flop. Half a flop because they worked out really well but the rest of the image was a complete disaster. So what do you do with half a disaster, cut it up and make a card out of it.
By the way if you haven't noticed I am keeping my Stampin Up creations on a separate blog to this one. Long story but it is something to do with an electronic agreement I signed with Stampin Up. Anyway to view that blog, which has also been updated, click here or on the Stamping Artlore link under my favourite blogs list.

Wednesday 19 May 2010

Thank you

Thank you to the comments I received for my lunch time ramblings today about diets. As usual I gave in to the coffee craving and then came home to see two pieces of cake waiting for me from a friends of mums. The God of obesity just loves me too much to let me go too easily. LOL. Oh well tomorrow is a new day. Maybe I will do better. I have no cash in my purse to buy any coffee so that is a start. NO ONE LEND ME MONEY TOMORROW OK! By the way the cake is more a loaf cake and the slice is only 1cm thick and I only had one. :)

1000 times over

If I have said this before (raising eyebrows and heavy sigh) then I have said it more than a thousand times over. It is time to pull my finger out and get back into the diet. I kind of diverged slowly about a month ago and then suddenly last week was back into bad habits. Yes the Iced coffee is back, the odd chocolate, the skipping of meals, lack of exercise and so on.

Fortunately I have not put on any of the weight I have lost (happy dance) and I can say that when I went shopping last week I was able to buy jeans a size smaller! :) The age old question now is "why, when I was doing so well, did I go off the rails?" People who have never been fat (and by that I mean the Dr telling you your fat and not just your mirror) will have their own opinion on this. I am not sure what the issue is but tend to get bored with food and flavours. Its like clothing fashion but with food. You have eaten that for a while now so time to change. I had salads all summer time to change. Problem is that I am not much of a cook and neither is my mother (who lives with me) so we tend to have the same vegies cooked the same way every single night with a different selection of protein (grilled chicken, beef or sausages - take your pick). I find cooking a waste of time so unless it is quick and easy (stir fry) then it doesn't happen. I need a private cook. Time to buy a lotto ticket I think. So what insight have I gained from telling you this ... absolutely nothing but I am CRAVING an iced coffee.

It seems that if I am not craving it I don't want it. In fact sometimes a nice meal makes me feel ill because I really just don't feel like eating that type of food. Suggestions of how to get over this would be greatly appreciated. If there is one thing I have learnt when trying to lose weight ... if it tastes good ... spit it out!

Monday 17 May 2010

Construction Doggy

Just thought I would post this photo from yesterday. Isn't he just adorable. Looks better than the poor things walking around with huge fairy wings pinned to their backs.

Sunday 16 May 2010

Million Paws Walk

Hi all,

Lots to tell. Been sooo busy in my craft shed having fun that I haven't had time to come on here and and tell you all about it. I have also been busy trying to get my Stampin' Artlore blog up and running. This is where all my Stampin' Up creations are going.

Diet wise, well I have not gone down hill just stopped for a little and I have not put on weight much to my relief. After today though I am getting back into it. Don't want to risk putting on the 6.5kg I have lost.

Today my friend Dxx and took our mothers and our dogs on the Million Paws walk. It was my first one and I really could not believe how some people dressed up their dogs. I am all for a jacket to keep them warm but skirts, dresses and capes ... no way. Some poor things even had fairy wings. There was one gorgeous dog dressed up as a construction worker, all in orange with reflective bits, had his own goggles and tool kit as well. The sizes of dog ranged from rat size to pony size. There were around 7000 altogether plus 2 camels, 2 ferrets and one rat that stayed on the shoulder of its owner. There were no cats.

Below are photos from today as well my new hair do which I got done on Thursday. Don't look too closely though because I didn't style it.

Me, Dee and the 3 dogs

Tess sporting her bandana

Nudge not believeing we were half way

Bo loving life because she gets carried when she is tired and was the attention of many cameras.

What Tess thought of Bo's sudden fan following.