February fun

I always love to explore new crafts and this year I have joined the inspiring classes at the Daily Lfe Project 2016 - the UnPlanner (see http://www.art5academy.com).  It's about putting together a personal planner using your style, interpreting creative prompts and a tonne of inspiration from other creative members.  I am loving this planner and can't wait each week for the next art prompt.  With each week comes a pocket art card to make - this is what I have done so far.....

It's never a bad time to jump into something like this so I encourage anyone to take a peak at their website.  I started their year long art journal 2015 project last April and became so addicted that I caught up in no time.

I have still been trying to get a few Scrapbooking layouts out of the way each month.  This month I completed a few preprimary layouts using the October Afternoon range - Public Library.

I also managed to finish a few cards using Darkroom Door stamps, Brilliance inks and my Kaiser markers.  I played with my Gelli plate and the stamps to see what type of bacgrounds I would receive with ink rather than my usual Gelli plate medium - acrylic paints.  The result - loads of possibilities and fun!

Txx

Shaving foam fun

Who would have thought that you could make awesome backgrounds with shaving foam. I stumbled across this technique and can't wait to play with more.  I coated the sheets with a thin layer of shaving foam and added acrylic ink and reinkers for stamp pads.  I wiped away the excess foam and was left with some pretty cool backgrounds.  This is my first play so I can't wait to see what I can do with mist sprays and paints using this technique.  

I love using different backgrounds to add interesting touches to my art journals, cards, Scrapbooking and paintings.  I went stamp crazy with the background pages I made and came up with a few cards I liked.  It was a lot of fun and I am sure they will end up in all my craft.  

Above - I liked my art journal page so much last month that I decided to do one on a canvas.  

Below - I have started the 2016 Daily life project Unplanner.  It is great fun - I have never done anything like this and it is a great way to make a personalised diary and use all my fun craft doing it.  The forum of ladies involved is amazing and their work is inspirational.  To find out more go to http://www.arttothe5th.com/journal/2015/11/25/documented-life-project-2016-are-you-ready

Below is my rather untouched month planner page and a pocket art card featuring the number 16 for the new year.  

Above - my monthly planner page divider for January with the challenge title - out on a limb! 

Below - a canvas my daughter and I completed together for her gorgeous swim friend Sophie.  

Above - a fun art journal page I enjoyed putting together. 

Off to make some another art card for my Unplanner!  

Ciao xx

New Year New Art

Happy New Year!

2015 has been a great year for just discovering more about myself and being grateful for what I have. I have started art journaling, began painting and drawing and just delving more into all types of art and discovering what makes me feel free and happy.  Here is some my recent plays with art and craft....

 

I combined stamping, journalling and masking for this little lady.  I used paint spray, acrylic paint, white and black markers and water colour to colour the page.  

This page was completed using stencilling and water colour 

This page was based on my memories for 2015.  I used masking tape to blank out areas on my page which I would leave blank. After sketching and water colouring my whole page,  I stripped the masking tape off to reveal my journalling areas for my photos.  

I used a quote I like as a theme for this  page.  I began this page layering colours  and primer then layers and collage as my base. I wrote a quote about living in the moment in the background also.   I then sketched my owl creatures and vegetation.  I painted the remaining background blue with acrylic paint and left the sketches bare to reveal the background.  I outlined the sketch with black liner and then white pen.  I thoroughly enjoyed this page. I think this technique may become a favourite. 

So I have finished the Daily Life Project 2015 art journalling challenges.  The Art to the Fifth ladies 

are launching a new project for 2016 - the Unplanner.  I have never done a planner before so it is going to be something completely new for me.  I plan to keep exploring the world of art and adding  to my art journals in 2016.  I know that 2016 is going to be wonderful for learning new techniques - I can feel it already!  

Bring on 2016! 

Tenaha xx 

         

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas....

I can't believe it is only 17 days until Christmas already.  This year has zoomed by.

Appropriately,  I was able to scrapbook a photo of the four of us from five years ago!  My goodness we have changed a lot.  I really cherish this photo now.  I am not very comfortable having my photo taken but Darryl and I joined in this Christmas photo because at the time Cheekah was only 2 and was still scared of Santa.  In addition to that someone had once said to me that it was special to your children to have photos with their Mum and Dad - and it is a real treasure to look back on now.

This page was completed using the Kaiser Turtle Dove collection, a collection from a few years ago.  I love using up my old stash.  I also used some Kaiser bling and flowers, stickers and dies. 

I have really enjoyed art journalling over the past fortnight.  Last week's challenge in the Daily Life Project, was to use a mask. I really felt like drawing too. First, I added a layer of colour in the background, wrote some quotes from a book I am currently reading and masked that by making a 

masquerade.  I sprayed over the top of that with a mist of pink and teal.  I then drew my lady, inspired the Miss Miranda Kerr, and painted in some facial features for her.  I am currently reading a book by Dale Carnegie about conquering worry - so I wanted to use that theme in my page. This page actually makes me really happy to look at and it certainly helped me to forget my worries whilst I was making this page.  And yes... That is a technique suggested in my book.  When you are busy it is harder to worry! 

I also managed to finish restoring a family heirloom during the past few months.  This dressing table belonged to my Nanna's family and has been passed down.  It has had a few layers of paint colour over the years  so I wanted to strip it down to its natural wood.  It had a lot of different streak marks of paint in it so to brighten it up again I painted it white.  I wanted to use a chalk paint effect.  Chalk paint is not cheap or  easy to obtain in Perth so I went to a local paint store and received advice to mix normal furniture paint with water until you get the desired effect you are after.  I mixed the paint with water about 50/50.  I liked the effect and painted several layers to the table.  I am quite pleased with the end result.  

Now to get to the rest of the house and my never ending list.  

Merry Christmas xx

Slightly obsessed with lists.....

I have been a working mum since the girls were very young.  To ensure I maintained a healthy lifestyle - I hired a cleaner for most of my working career.  After deciding to put my career on hold to be "just a mum" (tongue in cheek - it is the most important job in the whole entire world!) last April, I decided I really had to get into some type of routine for house chores, as well as still allowing some "me" downtime; run an efficient house with a FIFO hubby and two very busy young ladies in the house; and somehow still be healthy and train for Busselton half ironman next May.  It really made me think, how did we do this when I worked full time?  Sure we hired a cleaner once a week, but we still managed to lead a healthy active lifestyle; maintained gardens; cooked healthy meals for the week ahead; all played several sports; socialised; and somehow had some fun family times.  How did we fit this into 24 hours each day?

 My career as an environmental scientist shaped me into an obsessive list maker.  Without setting goals, I feel overwhelmed and have a sense of not achieving anything - even in something that seems as simple as running a household.   After playing with various methods of multitasking - I found a method that works for me. 

 I write all the things I need to do each week on a white board - this includes my house and garden chores; finance management for the house; triathlon training, strengthening and rolling sessions; and "me" crafting time - essential for ensuring I don't go insane looking after everyone else. I progressively wipe these chores off as I complete them.   I also have a daily list that I tick each day, which includes tasks like dishes; the girls lunches for the next day; preparing meals etc. Oh and of course our little princesses don't avoid the house chores - they also have a daily chore list they must complete.   Overkill?  Maybe.  I sometimes don't feel like I am getting enough done each day.   My family thinks I am hilarious and even try to sabotage my list by adding tasks to my whiteboard.  It appears to work for us somehow and being a busy FIFO wife and mother to two active girls, it helps me to stay on track.  

I would love to hear how other busy working mums organise their houses and associated chores.  

Here are a few items I recently completed as part of my "me" time....

Proof I need more me time - I am now five years behind in my Scrapbooking pics.  Layout made using Sassafrasslass papers, Kaiser flowers and bling. 

A canvas of a Mulla Mulla - using acrylic 

painting and collage methods.  

 

I had to use this favourite stamp of my eldest daughter - she has already asked to have this card put aside for her next birthday.  

 

This,  and the next few cards, are made using a cute elephant stamp.  Loved colouring him in and trying a few different backgrounds and layouts with this little guy.  

 

 



 And finally a new simple layout of our beautiful girls from five years ago now.  My how time flies.

Can't wait to share my

 new journal pages soon.  

Tata for now xxx

Too long between blogs!

I love blogging but have just not sat down and updated my blog and profile for so long.  I look at the last time I blogged and think of how much has changed since then.
1. We have moved 700km away from our previous address.  After nearly a year at this new address I finally feel like this is starting to become home.
2. I have gone from a full time working professional mum to full time stay at home...and I love it. My husband has become a fly in fly out employee for a totally different company and has changed roles.
3. Our children have moved schools and gone from a busy lifestyle of dance, hockey, netball, basketball and swimming to just swimming all year round and one team sport.  So much easier and less hectic - despite the fact we are still at the pool six days a week.  They love their new school and new friends.
4.  We have moved from a 1950s character home (which I adored) to a 1970s home that needs a lot of work.  Perth house prices are not cheap and more affordable homes typically are further away from the ocean and my brothers house.  For us it was a choice of either concrete vs. nature and lifestyle.  We chose nature and lifestyle.  We liked the house because it is  only a few 100m from a large wetland in Perth's northern suburbs, quiet and larger old land sizes.  We have native trees in our back yard and we listen to kookaburras and lorikeets wake each morning.  We can ride/run around the local wetland and occasionally we have the odd duck on our front lawn.  We love it.  Our new favourite shows are selling houses Australia and any house renovation show - we have so much to do in this outdated house.  Love the big rooms though!  On a normal day the furthest I drive is fifteen minutes.

 

Ducks on our lawn - too cute

6.  I have more time to craft now but also need to mix it with maintaining this house and making sure it all runs smoothly.  Being a fifo wife means you have to be strong and organised for the entire family.  I have gone from full time work as an environmental scientist to part time casual work as a competitive swim coach.  I love to coach and it means I have more time available for my family.
7. I have discovered the art of furniture restoration, painting, drawing and my new love - art journaling!
So here are a few of my recent crafty explorations I have been engaging in:


Art journalling

My favourite sites are Daily Life Project on Art to the 5th and 21 Secrets.  

Renovations

Laundry before and after

Scrapping

Determined - Kaiser Craft papers

Cards

And on top of this I am still trying to finish a quilt from 6 years ago and learning how to paint and draw.  Loving life xx

Stuck Sketches

Two challenges in one month - this is amazing for me. 

I created a layout using the below sketch from Stuck Sketches. 

 

 

I used Bazzil cardstock and Doodlebug Springtime Collection paper and elements.  I also used a little stamping in the background with white ink. 

The photos are of our girls four years ago.  They have always been non-stop active girls so when they actually sit and relax I really treasure it.  So nice to see how much they love each other too (most of the time - haha). 

Enjoy your weekend

Tenaha x