Muse Challenge #95 Kiss Keep it Sweet & Simple

This weeks challenge on Muse Challenge is from Caroline KISS-Keep it Sweet & Simple

This is my interpretation of the challenge 

Imaginecrafts/Tsukineko: Memento Luxe Tuxedo Black, Memento Dye Ink Rhubarb Stalk
Docrafts Papermania Madame Payraud's : Tissue Paper
The Stencil Specialists: Adhesive Pearls
Judikins: Fuschia Botanical Stamp
Miscellaneous: black and red ribbon

One Layer Card

I designed this card for One Layer Card

Imaginecrafts/Tsukineko Inks: Radiant Neon Electric Blue, Electric Pink, Electric Orange. Stazon Cactus Green.

PennyBlack Stamp:  Blush.

Stamp IT Stamp: Great Love.

Want2Scrap Nestabling: Pet Scallop Circle

WOYWW #286

Not sure why I took this crooked photo LOL. Chipboard on left of table, Memento markers and ink-pads arrived today to play with. Stampendous stamps. Dies from Couture Creations to play with. Stamps by Ryn near base of tv and stamps from Stamp IT- Christmas ones. All laid out ready to be used. Healthy non caffeinated Rooibos empty pack of tea waiting for me to alter somehow. Always a clock near me hahaha. I 'm obsessed with time. See the clock on the wall near my computer in the photo below? there is also a clock near the door of the craft room so no matter where I am in my craft room I have a clock to look at. 

We finally upgraded our tv to a 55". The tv on my desk above is what we watched for years,  it is finally shutting itself on and off in this hot weather and its so small I can barely read the writing that appears on screen. So of course I inherited the tv for my craft desk so I don't have to lug the other smaller one from my computer desk over to craft desk to watch. I just need to take the antenna cord with me and plug into which tv I want to watch.

The weather is so hot these days and humid I have empty bottles that held water on my desk all consumed and my usually cup of tea. 

Cards I made this week can be found HERE and HERE- thanks to all who voted for the last card, it won top 3 in the Muse Challenge # 94. Next important voting of all is on Dec 12..come back to see that card.

Hop on over to Julia's Stamping Ground to view more desks around the world.

Gold, Black and White Christmas Card

Heartfelt Creations Decorative Leafy Frame die in black cardstock

Schmick polka dot ribbon.

Twiddleybitz Merry Christmas Card Words chipboard

Imaginecrafts/Tsukineko All Purpose Ink Frost White

Want2Scrap Nestabling Pet Scallop Circle Small silver

Kaisercraft Rhinestones Silver

Linking up to 

Christmas Card All Year Round DT Challenge 30 Nov

Stamp and Create Ribbons and Bows Challenge 30 Nov

Ooh La La Creations Challenge #170 4 Jan

Craft Dee Bowz-Anything Goes and a Handmade Bow 30 Nov

Dream Valley Challenges - Anything Goes #95 27 Nov

Clean and Simple Card

EDITED: 26 Nov thanks to all who voted, I got top 3 featured Member for this card 

I didn't have balloons of any kind but I do have lots of flower stamps, and in Australia flowers are in full bloom at Christmas time so why not make a non tradition Christmas card.

Love these flowers by Heartfelt Creations. Colours by Imaginecrafts/Tsukineko Memento Pear Tart, Rhubarb Stalk, Pistachio and Bamboo Leaves. Pearls by Kaisercraft. Verse is a die by Couture Creations. Embossing die is by Cuttlebug Provo Craft.

This is the first time I am playing in Muse Challenge # 94, this weeks inspiration is by Marion Vagg.

Also linking up with the following:

ALBC- CAS 

T for Fruitcake Drink

It's Christmas time again, that means Fruit Cake, its English tradition and being born in Fiji we take on a lot of English traditions. Now that I live in Australia the tradition is also here.

I had a grand uncle in Fiji who would bake and bake and bake light fruit cake prior to Christmas. we always looked forward to getting one of his cakes. Of course its a family secret so I don't think I will ever get it as I am not direct descendent of his.

I have googled and asked for light fruit cake recipes and have received and found a few, so I am going to try them out this year. If they turn out I'll be sharing the recipes here.

Of course the first step is to steep the mixed fruit in liqueur.

One year I soaked the fruit and never got around to making the cake..then three years passed and I finally gave the fruit to my friend and asked her to make it as I couldn't bring myself to bake...was very strange.

So the drink today is liqueur.

I took a whiff of the fruit and I nearly passed out, it was so strong and so horrid (only because I don't drink liquor). I do however know the cake is awesome and I do eat my liquor hahahahaha.

Joining Bluebeard and Elizabeth for T for Tuesday.

Edited: 26 Nov. Robyn Josephs kindly shared a recipe with me so I'll share it here for you all

Easy, Last Minute Christmas Cake

This cake has no added sugar or fat (suitable for a range of diets) but is still really sweet and rich. It should be stored in the fridge and eaten within one week.
(I baked mine on 2 days before Christmas and left on the counter by a chilly window and it was fine.)

2 cups of golden raisins
1 1⁄4 cups water and remaining liquor from the cherries and raisins.
1 and a quarter cups of white whole wheat flour or whole wheat pastry flour. 

1 1⁄2 cup dried cherries that had soaked in bourbon/rum for a few days
1 1⁄2 pecans (Don’t soak the nuts.)
2 teaspoons of baking powder
1 teaspoon of allspice
4 tablespoons of apple cider.

Heat the raisins and water until the dates are soft. Remove from heat and mash with a fork or food processor. Add all the other ingredients and mix well. Spoon into a greased tube pan ad level top*. Bake at 340F for about an hour and a half until cooked.

Once cooled the nut topping can be glazed with a little syrup (melt some sugar into hot water) or you can ice traditionally.

*I used a spring form tube pan, well greased. Also, my mother made a similar cake and always neatly placed pecan halves in the bottom of the pan, then served the cake bottom side up. The nuts made a nice decoration. 

WOYWW # 285

My desk got replaced with camping items, I was MIA last week-well my desk was MIA anyway. We went camping at Dicky Beach Family Holiday Park, for a week-oh what luxury. Hardly any cooking and if I didn't want to cook- no hassles we just went out to dinner .... and NOOOOO housework, well there was minimal-I had to sweep the leaves off the tarp and wipe the tables as we had visitors at night looking for food. a huge possum the size of a cat came visiting one night, I was too scared to go out and shoo him away. 

This was only half the stuff we took, I always forget to take a photo of the car or the trailer. 

You can read more about our holiday in this POST and this POST. 

I don't know what time today this parcel arrived but I saw it at 2pm sitting outside my craft room door. My birthday was on the 8th November and my wonderful friend Sandra Carter is too generous as well as knowing exactly what I like, it's as if we are twins. She wrapped almost everything into separate parcels and I just couldn't wait to rip into it. Funnily she buys dies I have never bought myself and she's never asked me and I've never told her what I bought so she's definitely in my head somehow knowing what I don't have LOL.

THANK YOU SANDRA, you have made my day and my whole year 

xoxoxooxo

Linking up with Julia's Stamping Ground, go and view other desks from around the world

Camping at Dicky Beach

 I love the feature on my new phone called panorama, took this pano of Dicky Beach Family Holiday Park, where we went for a week of camping last week. It was glorious weather for the first 4 days then we got a heatwave.

 This is the kitchen facilities in our area of the camp ground, very clean and the best facilities we've seen in our camping trips. There was electricity to charge phones and cameras etc. free bbqs and even a stove. a fridge and freezer to put your food in.

 This is our kitchen area all set up, to the left is the sink area. The trailer held all the excess stuff that had no room in the camping area.

 This is the sleeping area with out bargain 7 man tent we got for $80. You can see my daughters legs in black pants reclining on my beautiful camp chair recliner

 I took another pano of the stream that flows into the camp ground, it was gorgeous with rocks in it, no one swims there, it looked too dirty

 Just wanted to show off my tan that I got, I only stayed in the sun 30 mins a day, I cant stand the heat or sun baking, unlike my daughter who lay in the sun for hours, of course she has a gorgeous tan.

This is Emma my youngest, I swear she has a tan but its not so visible in this photo and neither is mine LOL.

The photo above was taken at the Belvedere hotel where we all went to celebrate my birthday on November 8th the night before we went camping. We had a platter for two and shared it amongst 3 of us, and we were all full from it. I was laughing so hard because I wanted a photo with the name of the hotel in it and there was none behind us so Michael grabbed the menu and stuck it behind my ear...see his cheeky grin!!!

You can see more of our trip HERE

T for Tuesday - Mocktails and Cocktails

We went camping the last week to a place called Dicky Beach Family Holiday Park, my acupuncturist told me about it. I've told hubby it's worth going to acupuncture because I get a new camping venue from him each time hahahaha. He goes camping nearly every weekend lucky duck!!

So the drink above we got at Peregian Beach, it was a scorcher of a day so we decided to drive up to Noosa beach which is about 40 minutes north. Unfortunately there was no parking at all which surprises me because it is a well known tourist destination and a delightful place to visit but so lacking in public parking that many people are turned away and they lose tourist dollars. 

The drink was alcohol based but I asked for no alcohol: pineapple, mango and passionfruit-it had a whole lime in it which made it very tart indeed, I removed all the lime and my daughter at them just like that-made my mouth go sour watching her lol. I bought a Ninja blender while we were on holiday, it was a bargain at $98 from $300 and was very powerful. Now that it is summer here its time for fresh fruit drinks which we love making.

This drink is my daughters drink, it has alcohol  in it, something I can't drink at all, just by choice.

We stayed right beside Dicky Beach Surf Club  which had amazing food for a club. The wait time for ordering was longer than the wait time for the food to come out-so strange-its usually the other way around.

You can see more of our holiday preparation HERE and more holiday pictures HERE

Linking up today with Bluebeard and Elizabeth for T for Tuesday.

Imaginecrafts Artists in Residence announcement for 2015

I was away on holidays camping when the news was announced for the 2015 Artist In Residence Team for Imaginecrafts that I had applied for, unfortunately I was not on the final list but a lot of great artists were. I look forward to following their blogs and seeing their wonderful projects in 2015. So here they are:

Artist In Residence Project Team

You can read the full article HERE:

Clare Horner UK

Heicke Linnek Germany

> Isha Gupta Switzerland

Jowlina Nolte South Africa

> Linda Lucas Australia

> Maureen Cronin WA USA

> Penny Ward Florida

Renee Zarate MA USA

Roni Johnson IN USA

> Sylvia Blum Germany

> Taylor Usry VA USA


Artists in Residence Video Team

> Baerbel Born Germany

Carisa Zglobicki CO USA

> Cathy Andonicou UK

Gini Williams Cagle NC USA

> Savannah O’Gwynn FL USA

> Tina McDonald NB Canada

The names with a > in front of them are the returning 2014 Design Team Members

Each name is linked to their blog as well so you can go and visit their awesome projects.

2014 Birthday Cards

Thank you to the wonderful ladies that sent me birthday cards 

Aileen Flynn

Barb Porritt

Beccy Muir

Doreen Worth

Judith Such

Laisie Murphy

Margaret Ashby

Mary Fenton

Rikki Showell

Sheila L

Trish Harris

Sweet Birthday Wishes

Bazzill Sweetheart
Bazzill Petunia
Bazzill Lily White
Kaisercraft Tropical Twist
HP Colour LaserJet paper 200gsm
MFT Sweet Birthday Wishes
Die-Namics Sweet Birthday Wishes
Copic Markers E00, E11, R20, Y21, YR23, E35, C0, C3, C5, R81, R83, R85, Elizabeth crafts Cool Diamond Glitter
Thin strips of Elizabeth Crafts Double sided adhesive

Altered Shoe and Tutorial

I've always wanted to alter a real shoe. I have made paper ones but they just didn't satisfy my altering ego. So when I saw this shoe at Kmart I knew exactly what I wanted to do with it.

Using Tsukineko All Purpose 70 Vegas Gold Ink and a dauber, apply first coat liberally all over shoe. Sponge on a second layer of thicker coating and heat set with a heat gun until the ink bubbles, see photo below, (always do this in a well ventilated room or outside when heat setting). 

 

 Apply Bo Bunny Frosting Jewels to the body of the shoe and Want2Scrap Bling strips around the edge. Tie 2 ribbons with a bow and attach to front and back of shoe with 2 way glue, trim off excess ribbon.

Stamp up Heartfelt Creation Stamps Arianna Blooms in Tsukineko Memento Inks: Bamboo Leaves, Pistachio, Olive Grove, Tuxedo Black and Northern Pine. Memento Luxe: Rhubarb Stalk, Rich Cocoa and Toffee Crunch. Fussy cut the flowers, apply ink to edge and middle of flowers with a dauber.

On a thick mouse pad, using 2 sizes of burnishers, large for the bigger flowers and small for the tinier flowers. Turn flower over and push the smaller burnisher into the end of each petal. Turn flower over to right side and push smaller of burnisher into the middle until the petals pop up. Pierce the middle of each layer of flower with an awl and put a brad through to hold all 4 layers.

Spray Imagine crafts Gold and Sparkle Sheer Shimmer onto each flower and set aside to dry. Tuck a sheet of white tissue paper into the shoe and attach leaves to the backs of the flowers, attach to the tissue paper with a hot glue gun.

Using the brush tip Fantastix and All Purpose 70 Vegas Gold Ink colour yellow brads, set aside to dry.

Supplies Used:

IMAGINE Crafts/Tsukineko

Memento Inks: Bamboo Leaves, Pistachio, Olive Grove, Tuxedo Black and Northern Pine.

Memento Luxe: Rhubarb Stalk, Rich Cocoa and Toffee Crunch.

All Purpose 70 Vegas Gold Ink.

Fantastix

Gold and Sparkle Sheer Shimmer

  

Heartfelt Creation Stamp: Arianna blooms.

Want2Scrap: bling strips

Bo Bunny: frosting jewel

Green Tara: Leaves

Karen Foster: yellow brads

Tombow: 2 way glue

Miscellaneous: Heat gun, white tissue paper, burnishers, daubers, awl, hot glue gun, craft mat, scissors, ribbon, mouse pad and new size 8 shoe.

Shoe can still be worn when you remove the tissue paper, ribbon and flowers.

Entering this into the following challenges:

Anything But a Card No 41 - Anything Goes
A Crafty Mess Challenge 1 - Anything Goes
Splendiferous Creations - Alter It
Crafts 4 Eternity R#202 - Bright Colours
Just Add Ink #240 - Just Add Texture

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