New Years Resolution and the Weekly ATC diary

I have made a News Years Resolution to try to at least put up a post a month on this poor neglected blog. As a beginning I have started on the weekly atc diary challenge which Redcrystal of the yahoo group ATCs4U has started. If your interested come and join. This blog http://weekly-atc-diary.blogspot.com/ tells you everything you need to know. This week the ATC front is to be your name and its meaning. I went to town (well not quite the capital city, you know just down town, as I haven't journalled on the backs yet) and made two atcs with different meanings of my name. One is Spanish meaning Pretty or Pretty one. The other is English meaning lime tree or linden tree. There is also a German meaning but it is snake and I'm not really into them so I'll give that a miss.



The backgrounds are glimmer misted, I have stamped and heat embossed the tree and name plate, just printed out the words and distress inked them and a dictionary meaning added an image on the spanish one and some bling and trinkets. TFL

What a shocker I am

OMG how long has it been it's almost Christmas and over a year since we went through central Australia. Why does time just seems to pass me by - Getting older maybe?? I've been busy with work, gardening and repainting the house. I totally renovated the vegie patch and we finally finished the fence (only took about 5 years). So no more dogs trampling and digging, and no more bunnies munching. I used fine aviary mesh which goes down to a concrete footing so here’s hoping it will keep out snakes too (doubt it though).

We’ve been stripping back and refinishing the decks and red cedar windows. We were hammering along and looked like finishing them in only a couple of weekends and then two things happened – our cracked concrete water tank finally emptied and we both came down with a virus. We had to take advantage of the empty tank to repair the leaks – not only we’re we losing a lot of water but the yard around the tank was like a bog – though Fly (our doggie girl) loved to lay in a nice muddy spot to cool down after giving the cattle a talking too (funny story about that too but I’ll leave it for later). So there was scrubbing and grouting and painting to seal up the tank again. But then DH got sick and so did I not long after. It’s been over 2 weeks for me and 3 for him and just when we were starting to feel better then comes the dust – ahh! I think another course of antibiotics might be needed to totally get over it.

I have had a bit of time for crafting though. The young and very talented Ruby Bisson organised a circle journal swap for ATCs at Allcraftz. There are some fantastic artists at Allcraftz and I’ll think you’ll agree looking at the cards.

My theme was places and postage stamps
My ATC

Ruby's

De's

Robyn's

Nova's

Marnie's

Marcy's

Liz's

My New Obsession or its your fault Liz

I have become an addict and I put the blame squarely in Redcystals court. I am an ATC addict which has developed into a Swap-bot addiction and it is most definitely Liz's fault. I mean, it seemed so casual and innocent to mention that she was hosting a couple of swaps - but now here I am a hopeless addict, beyond rehabilitation. So I better show you a bit of what I have been up to.

Swap-bot Recycled Christmas Card ATCs

Swap-bot Asian ATCs My first International swap

Hello 2009

Well this New Year was quieter than many others. We had a few over of food an drinks. This year is the warmest New Year that I can remember since we've been here - around 8 years. We were a few down at our New Years party - my poor DS with a broken foot that wouldn't mend and BIL and SIL whos very elderly doggie had his last night on earth. Fingers crossed this year is much kinder to many of my family and friends who did it tough last year.

Anyway on a much happier not DH got the tractor he has been wanted for a long time and as soon as he had a spare weekend he turned our old ride-on mower into an electric garden cart - why you might - well because he could.

Hugs to anyone who bothers to read this blog and I hope 2009 works out fab for you.

Merry Christmas

I have had a pretty quiet Christmas. Went to DH’s no2 brother’s place for lunch and my sisters for dinner. We had a couple of our neighbours over for drinks and nibbles tonight and we’ll have a few more over on New Years – though much lower key than previous years.

I was given this award by the lovely Marnie who said the most lovely things about my work.
Here are the rules to follow through when you receive the award:
1.Post a copy on your blog.
2.Mention who gave you the award.
3.Pass the award onto 6 others.
4.Leave a message on their blog letting them know the award has been bestowed upon them.

So here are the 6 that I would love to spread the love to:

1. Megan - for all her commitment to the Allcraftz community and for understanding how much I love my furbabies.

The two fabulous Allcraftz DTs
2. Hannah - the queen of cards
3. Krissy - the queen of flowers and feminine

4.Ruby - the most talented young scapper I know and such a lovely young lady to boot.

To the last two ladies for making me laugh so hard that numerous hot and cold beverages came out of my nose.
5.Liz - thanks for the laughs and inspiring me to reach out to others with my art
6.Sharon - thanks for being the life of the party on any number of ocassions

Here are some more ATCs that I have made this year for challenges and swaps at Allcraftz

These ATCs were done for a spring cybercrop at Allcraftz

These were another challenge at Allcraftz for Word Card Making Day

This was for the Allcraftz Rainbow and flowers swap

These were for the Allcraftz christmas swap

What a Slacker!!

OMG it is nearly Christmas and how long has it been since I updated this blog. Bad Blogger, Bad, Bad Blogger!! I haven't been doing much but working since coming back from holidays. Nothing interesting has happened to me - except that some blinking Truck ran into my poor old car. But its all fixed and no one was hurt so no big deal.

On the craft side I have really been into ATCs of late so I thought I'd post some of those that I have done.

PS promise I sort out more trip photos and complete my rundown - might have time to breath over christmas.

My Very first ATCs

These are my Heritage and Blue

My asian and red ATC set (Thanks for the pics Marnie)