Tuesday, July 29, 2014

Watching the big Fish Catcher


The other morning when I was sitting out having a cuppa, I was in fits of laughter watching a Pelican trying to catch a Shag - the said shag was poping up and then diving back under the water. The poor old Peli didn't know what to make of it. The Peli would wait to see where the Shag was going to appear Peli did a slow low fly and with heels down for brakes would dive at the shag just as the shag went back under the water, this went of for some time and it was so funny.

The below photo shows the shag just diving as the Pelican arrives - buggar missed


Happy Easter


My latest page:

I did this page yesterday, using some of the new techniques that I have been trying to master.
I have used a brush (the white scroll) I also had to move/turn it. I tried to get the hand of doing some layers and using coloured shadows - however they dont show up very well. Like the page and pretty happy with it. The next thing I want to do is to get some more font styles, I have got the hang of downloading brushes, so fonts are next.
Hoe you like my lessons.



Easter 2014

MZIMM-StudioGirls:
Lace Doily

Scrap Girls: - BOY (Because of You)
Small Heart
Newsprint paper

SKD Chill Scatter:
Dots

Just A Dream:
KTS Cafe Gourmand Paper 01

Butterfly
Brush Stroke Florish
Buttons
Banners

Font:
Dok Champa

Size:
30pt

Brushes



No not what you sweep the floors with but digital brushes. I have been playing around with my Photoshop Programme and have managed to work out a few new ideas with the help of the Jelly Bean girls, Toni, Kym & Laraine thank you all for the help you have and continue to give. I never gave up with the issue I had with Brushes and finally I solved it what a great feeling that is.
The below photo is of a brush effect - branch with birds - the issue I had was one of how do I rotate,move,turn it - solved I was so stoked you have no idea. (it was actually facing the opposite way)

 And here's some more



I also managed to do this - I thought I was pretty clever, its not perfect by any means as the type is not level, however I was pretty darn happy with the effort.



The Prom & another Beautiful Sunset

29th July 2014

Well not alot has been happening, we are slowly coming to the end of our house sit here at Bribie Island, the home owners arrive back on the 16th August. We are slowly gathering up gear and taking what is not needed back to the caravan, the beds are made in the van as we will be back in Poppy from the 16th until we head to our next house sit at Calamvale just south of Brisbane. While at the van park we will still be able to spend some time with Terry & Patricia - Brian's brother & his wife from Christchurch, they come to Woorim each NZ winter to stay in their van. 





Wednesday, July 23, 2014

Visitors Called Today


Sunday 20 July

My very good friend Keryn Suther's & her deightful mum Shirley Kasper called over Sunday for a chat & cuppa. They brought us some beautiful strawberries that we have just finished and the most gorgeous Hibiscus flowers the size of them was just amazing as were the colours. It was lovely to see you both & I will see you next Wednesday for a few hours of cardmaking.




Friday, July 18, 2014

Enjoying the Sunshine



Well what's to say it was such a beautiful day !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!




Quack Quack


The other day I was out watering the garden by the canal when I heard what sounded like baby ducklings, I looked across into the canal & there was a family of Australian Wood Ducks swimming along with babies in tow.





Cinque Terre


18th July 2014

There is just less than a month now until our homeowners arrive back from their wonderful trip. They are currently enjoying the warmth and wonderful delights of Tuscany. Currently touring through the beautiful, colourful villages of the Cinque Terre.

The Cinque Terre (Italian pronunciation: [ˌtʃinkwe ˈtɛrːe]) is a rugged portion of coast on the Italian Riviera. It is in the Liguria region of Italy, to the west of the city of La Spezia. "The Five Lands" comprises five villages: Monterosso al Mare, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola, and Riomaggiore. The coastline, the five villages, and the surrounding hillsides are all part of the Cinque Terre National Park and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Over the centuries, people have carefully built terraces on the rugged, steep landscape right up to the cliffs that overlook the sea. Part of its charm is the lack of visible corporate development. Paths, trains and boats connect the villages, and cars cannot reach them from the outside. The Cinque Terre area is a very popular tourist destination.
The villages of the Cinque Terre were severely affected by torrential rains which caused floods and mudslides on October 25, 2011. Nine people were confirmed killed by the floods, and damage to the villages, particularly Vernazza and Monterosso al Mare, was extensive.[1]







Fun with Photoshop Again


18th July 2014

I never realised until the other night that Photoshop Elements10 has so much hidden stuff, I found some amazing frames,backgrounds,embellishents, and all sorts of great stuff I palyed around with a photo and added this great frame. There was a glitch it has a white background & I am darned if I could work out how to get rid of it. Scrappin Gran - Laraine from Jelly Bean Scrappers put me on the right path and what do you know I did it!!!!!!!!!!!!! great I'm hooked & cann't find enough hours in a day now to want to play, thanks Laraine

Below shows the before with the white background




Below shows no background just the frame & photo, it does'nt look like it's on it's own but it is.

I've been playing again



18th July 2014

Just a something I have been trying & playing with:

The use of Brushes - this is my first attempt.


Monday, July 14, 2014

Keryns Launch Day


14 July 2013

This morning I went over to Keryn's at Morayfield for the launch of the new seasons range of Stampin Up goodies. A great group of nice, friendly, chatty, crafty ladies were there. We each received a nice goodie bag with the new Ideas book, new seasons ribbons, cardstock and some nice stamped pieces.
A great time, coffee and morning tea. I have taken pics of the group of cards I want to make. I thought these cards were so nice I can use them to leave for the home owners of the house sits we do.







Saturday, July 12, 2014

July - Jelly Bean Challange - Portrait


INSPIRE

Toni asked us to do a portrait challange of either someone or a school photo, we also had to do a messy background or use stacked paper. I used this photo taken of Rory after school earlier this year love this photo of him. His most recent school photo is currently in the post to me.

Toni's July Portrait Challange
INSPIRE

MZIMM – Days Gone By:
Mini Paper #2 (backing PP)

Just a Dream – Cafe:(stack papers)
KTS Couleur Cafe – Brown Paper #76
KTS Gourmand Cafe – Gold #1
KTS Gourmand Cafe – Burgundy #22

Karen Bellamy Digi Course - Spring is Sprung:
Paperclip, Notepaper

Moonlight Journey – Single words:
Inspire

Peppermint Creative - Game Night:
Pencil

Scrap Matters – Date Tags:
May - 2014

Font & Size:
Vinda
18pt


Thank you Manu





So what have I been up to recently! well not alot other than the usual daily house chores which really doesn’t take too long. We have been getting some pretty chilly winds (Westerly) which have come earlier so hopefully we wont get them next month. I have been continuing my digital scrap booking and was really excited when my purchased bundle arrived from Germany. I have a particular designer named Manuela Zimmerman (Manu for short) and her product is simply beautiful. She was retiring a large bundle kit of various items at such an amazing price that I wanted to purchase it however as the download was going to take 2hr or longer it was out of the question - aahaa I decided to email her and explain that I wanted to purchase but could not download until we were somewhere where there was wifi or some other form of Internet as we use the mobile for ours. To my delight the following day Manu had replied saying she could put the bundle onto two DVDs for me which would open straight away no downloading, the cost of the bundle kit was $14.99 and was actually over $141.00 worth of product if I purchased them individually, she would charge an extra $9 for postage which included tracking. I advised her to go ahead, paid the $$ and Manu sent the package on the Wednesday and it arrived in Oz on the Friday - excited hell yeah - now I just had to wait for customs to do their thing and release it to Aussie Post - it duly arrived at my friend Keryns last week. Brian & I went over for a drive last Sunday & collected my precious package - the photo says it all - I sent this to Manu and put it on her Facebook page she was so thrilled - her word you have me in tears. The DVDs have some amazing stuff on them & I am still learning so much on Photoshop Elements that I think I am addicted now. I have done quiet a few pages & am now going to start getting them printed. Photos show some of my latest pages - hope you like them & thanks for looking.


The Lads


Adam & Rory sitting in the race car, this photo was taken in 2013 & I cann't believe how small Rory looks in the photo - love the colours in this page.


THE LADS
February 3rd 2013
Adam and Rory

Pickleberry Pop:
QuickPage – Armina Design
Dad n Me

Font: Stencil Standard
Size: 60pt

Fatbox



Yep that's correct the name of the Dragster is    "FATBOX", this photo was taken at Ruapuna Raceway in Christchurch, it is not far from Yasmine & Adams home so they never had far to go that day.



FATBOX
Adam, Yasmine & Rory
at Ruapuna
February 3rd 2013

Pickleberry Pop:
QuickPage-Armina Design
Family Day

Font: Raavi
Title Size: 30pt
Text: 18pt



That Tongue


I have been trying to catch up on some of my scrapbooking I did cheat with using some quick pages but at times they can be a life save, especially when you are so far behind.
I think the photo suits the title or vice versa - cheeky little monkey, this is his dads race car it is a modified Ford Anglia van & it is a dragster, it may be little but it is fast & mean.

That Tongue
Motueka 2013


Ginger Snaps – Man Oh:
Man Oh paper #7 – Tyre Tread

MZIMM – Man At Work:
Border #3

Font – Capital T:
Pastino Std

Lower Case Letters:
Trebuchet MS

Size: - 20pt

June Jelly Bean Spots & Dots Challange



Once again another of Toni's challanges - criteria had to be the use of  SPOTS & DOTS
Below page shows my take on the challange  - love the colours in this page. And the darlings in the photo are my life. They look happy however it was the opposite as I was leaving them to come back home to Aussie - I hate leaving them behind & its getting harder & harder as Rory now understands what is happening so it is all 3 of us in tears now - hate goodbyes, BUT love this page.




Toni's June Challange
Spots& Dots

Ginger Snaps:
Sky's the Limit
Cloud
Paper#8 – pink spot
Some Kind of Lovin Kit:
Border
Paper #13 – Pink/Lemon

Lorie M:
Word Art 1 – stamp

MZIMM:
Nature Vision:
Paper #5 – Grey

Skd Chill:
Scatter Bubbles

Font: Dok Champa

Size: 30pt





June Jelly Bean Challange - Title tells a story


Toni's set us a couple of challanges for June:

Title has to tell a story:       PELICAN
Below page tells exactly what the photo is - love this page. The photo was actually one I took when we were staying at Mannum down in SA last year on our caravan trip -  Thanks Toni for making me do more.



Toni's Jelly Bean Challange
June – Title Challange
PELICANS

I took rather a lot of photos of the Pelicans at Mannum 2013 when we were on our trip, I thought it fitted the mini kit that I have used.

Items Used:
Raspberry Road Ocean Breeze Mini Kit.
BMU Coastal Special Paper #2
Ocean Breeze Mini Starfish #1
Ocean Breeze Mini Blue Shell #2
Ocean Breeze Mini White Shells#4
Ocean Breeze Mini Water #9
Ocean Breeze Mini Shell Rope#16
RR Pelican Cluster Frame D

Type Font
Verdana

Title Size - 72pt



A Test Page



And the best thing is it worked yippee:
 
Well how else is a girl meant to learn how to use a digital programme other than play. The below page is only a practise one that I did learning how to take 1 photo and frame and then take the photo & turn it into 3 separate photos, the same with the frame, by duplicating the frame you can turn one photo into a whole different look. I also learnt how to erase some of the frame layer and have it looking like it is actually going behind another frame. The course I am working through is fantastic, done by a lady Karen Bellamy of Melbourne & this course starts right from scratch beginner to advanced & uses Photoshop Elements which I have - I am loving it & best thing learning heaps.


May Jelly Bean Sketch Challange


Kym's sketch challange got me out of my comfort zone once more. Kym gave us a sketch and we had to do a page interpeting her sketch this is my effort. Yasmine & Rory playing in the snow outside their house in 2011.




Kym's Sketch Challange
May 2014
Fun In The Snow


Kpertiet – Color Inspiration:
Background paper – Blue 11611-1

MZIMM – Days Gone By:
Patterned Paper #2
MZIMM – Icy & Frosty:
Lace
Snowflake #2

Ginger Snaps – Just Keep Smiling:
Bracket (I changed the colour)

Frame Around The Photos: I did it.

Font: Trojan Pro

Size: 60 pt & 72pt



May - Jelly Bean Colour Challange - Pink & Green



Criteria: Pink & Green:
This is my take on the challange, I have used a couple of photo's of plants from the garden


Kym's Colour Challange
Pink & Green
May 2014

Scrapgirls Feb 2012 – Butterfly Effect:
Word Art Tag – May

MZIMM-Studio Girls:
Friends For Life- Flower on Stem
Joyful Addon – Fence
A Touch of Spring – Bird
Charming Addon: Ivy

Misc Papers:- Ginger Snaps & Scrap Girls
ATR Crazy Retro Day – Green 12x12
DEB Altered Art – Believe
MHD – SKOL Pink/Green - paper13