ONE WORLD ONE HEART......:)

So its that time again .......... ONE WORLD ONE HEART 2011

What a fantastic event, i had so much fun last year visiting tons of blogs and meeting new people.

It was also sooooo exciting checking in each day and seeing how many bloggers had visited me :)

So what is OWOH 2011? [you can click the link above for more information]

Well its a coming together of the blog community run by Lisa Swifka from a whimsical bohemian., a chance to meet new bloggers and make new friends.
All the blogs are hosting a giveaway or door prize and it runs from the 30th Jan until 14th February....so keep checking in as new blogs are added daily.....
This years is the last event having run for 5 years, I can only imagine what a ton of work this is to organise so THANK YOU Lisa for all your wonderful effort :)

So i welcome you to my little corner of bloggyland in Australia :)
I like making mixed media in my spare time which is not as often as i like as i work part time...insert nearly full time :(
I love to get my hands dirty with glue and paint... but also love getting the sewing machine out and playing around. I'm into bright colors, layers and lots of texture and will have a go at any technique, sometimes with success, sometimes not! i love to share and often have tutorials, something im hoping to do more of this year.
My family are arty crafty so there is usually something messy going on in our teeny house !

I have 3 door prizes this year to give you more of a chance to win :)


3 A5 covered art journals.

They have blank pages with painted and sewn pattern tissue paper covers from Roben-Maries wonderful tutorial.

I really enjoyed making these and have so many ideas for making heaps more, just need to get some more old paper patterns...






I'm opening my blog prize to bloggers and non bloggers as i often receive comments from people who don't have blogs. They contribute to the blogging community too, so you are very welcome here :)

I will anounce three winners on the 18th February my time and winners one and two get to choose...:)

So i look forward to meeting you and i'll also try really hard to get around to visit your blogs as well as the the other owoh participants.....

have a good OWOH :))) oh and spread the word.....

some collages....

just thought i would show these collages i did before Christmas. im thinking of making some of these to sell IF we get into the market in March.
ive used my vintage prayer book papers and japanese kimonos ....the flowers and stems i bought from blue bazaar, I didnt frame them but mounted them straight onto mattboard ready for framing...
the image on the bluey one i printed onto organza which is a look i really like...Thanks to Margaret too for the lovely brown bamboo paper...




I go to back to work on Monday ...sigh......had a great holiday , not that it was holiday more of break from work :) it feels good to have had a good clean out, catch up on things and spend some time with Charlie who seems to be settling in well (shes not been home much lol ;)
The floods are still travelling through towns around about and another 20cms of rain is expected this week , thats after the 40c day predicted tomorrow.... hope its cooler when i go back to work....

how to turn this.....

into this.......





in 3 easy steps....hahah noooooo just joking !!

Do you now how expensive custom made pelmets are? Well, working in the industry i do and wanted to make something to cover the roller on Charlies blind before she came home. We had pulled down her fairy Austrian before when we painted and the blind was looking a bit bare.

So my brother gifted us a tele at Christmas[what a wonderful brother!! the sound was about 5Min's behind the picture, it made for some funny tv viewing]

The box was sturdy and strong and cheap and because nothing is screwed into it, it didn't need to be wood.
My old boss where i used to work making swags and tails and pelmets would have a fit ;)
So i cut box and taped and glued ends in.....



Coverered with batting, I had left over warm and natural so used two layers.

Cut material 2.5 times width and 10cm to depth for something to hold onto.

Joined and gatherered along long ends, gathering up to fit pelmet.

Starting at middle, hot glue [and be careful, I've never had so many burns !] the top edge on roof of pelmet about 4 cm over. Glue all around making sure to pleat corners.

I also worked on the back of the couch to rest it on and it was the ideal height for me and so light, not like wooden pelmets.

Now to do bottom edge,hot glue pulling firmly, making sure pleats are kept straight, keep checking to make sure you havent gone skew whiff!

To tidy up , cut off excess material and put masking tape on top about 2 cm back. as her beds underneath i lined the inside with old scrapbook paper...


I then poked holes in the top where the brackets were and tied it on to the L brackets...

and the cost, 20.00 for fabric , 5 glue sticks and some masking tape, not bad eh???

and because it looks so good heres another pic, it picks up her dark purple wall beautifully...

Home....

It's hard to believe its a week since we picked up Charlie at the airport. It didn't feel like 12 months at all since we had seen her but it was so nice to have hugs again. She made us stop the car on as soon as we got out of the airport so she could see the southern cross. All week there had been no stars due to the wet weather but they were shining brightly that night.....

She has been a bit sad [well miserable , really :( ] at leaving Denmark, her wonderful host families and friends but is slowly settling in each day.

She hates this hot weather [what Hot? its under 30c , not that hot at all] lol

She's missing the snow.....

We wondered whether her dog Luey would remember her.......well as soon as she walked in the door, Luey went ballistic, jumping all over her and hasn't left her alone much at all this week :]

That blazer was covered in pins from all over the world, what a memento....



I'd forgotten how messy she is.....:)

It's been the trip of a lifetime for her thanks to the Rotary club here and also in Korsor and her wonderful host families who gave her so much more than just a roof over her head. I've really enjoyed getting to know some of her host mums too...

I'm sure that she will be over to visit again as soon as she can but for now its all the boring mundane stuff like dentists, hairdressers and getting organised for school in a week...

flood pics around Victoria...

This is just unbelievable, 30 % of Victoria now under flood but no lives lost thank goodness... these are all small towns around us , thinking of friends and family in some of these towns......keep safe.

Apart from small localised areas in town from the creeks and low lying areas we are not under any threat but its just heartbreaking to see all these communities who have struggled through years of drought to now cop this....

She's on her way....

yes she is, it feels a bit surreal...




Look at that blazer, she wanted one totally covered...

thanks Hanne for the pics.


FLOODS....

Several towns in Victoria, not a half hr away from us have been evacuated due to the flooding. And Tasmania too. We are safe but all this rain has to go somewhere, thanks goodness for some sunshine today :)

i am so proud of this country and its people and the way they all pull together in times of crisis.

9 days....

but who's counting , im not allowed to.... ssshhh:)

I've been trying to finish up my atcs for inkurable stampers year long challenge...
this one is for Zodiac, made from Roben-Maries wonderful tute...its made from dress tissue paper stitched, then painted with gesso and twinkling h2o's, its quite tough too....i couldnt find the right sized pic of a crab so i drew one instead and painted it with ws crayons, i was really happy how it turned out...
cancer is the ruler of the 4th house ! i think i am a true crab, i just like being home pottering around....

all about me
this was hard to think what to do soooooo.... color, texture, stitching reuse, recycle with fabric scrap and acetate, sums me up pretty well:)


talking about that tute i made a little parcel for wrapping a pressie for jenny in . i used scraps of lace to make 'pom pommy' thing on top ...

i love the way the stitching picks up the paint...


it made a beautiful parcel....


one of the lovliest gifts i recieved for Christmas was from Jenny and
made by susie la fond.
i just had to show it....
its just beautiful and i have spent lots of time thumbing though it checking out all its little nooks and crannies, it came with lovely little extras too...we both love susies work and i was so thrilled to recieve it...

What difference the sun makes to your photos, it had been so wet and drab here that its been hard to get decent photos. However i guess thats just nothing compared to the poor Queenslanders whose state is underwater, the news reports are just dreadful.Its hard to believe that just over a week ago they were sitting down to Christmas dinner and now their being evacuted. All the crocodiles and snakes in the water is a bit scary too.... you can donate here