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)

Outback Odyssey (Second Installment)

Now where was I - thats right Redbank Gorge. Well here is a couple of photos of the gorge

outback odyssey (first installment)

Well were back from our trip through central Australia. We crossed the Simpson from Birdsville across the QAA and French Lines to Dalhousie where we had a couple of days just soaking in the springs. Then through Mt Dare to Curtin Springs and on to Yulara for a few days of admiring Uluru and Kata Juta. Then to Kings Canyon where we spent a couple of days walking up and round the Canyon. It was quite a bit drier and a lot more windy than the 8 years ago. There was no water in the pools around the rock and the waterhole at Garden of Eden at Kings Canyon was probably at least a metre lower.

From Kings were went through the Finke Gorge NP on the boggy hole track to Palm Valley. Before reaching the Boggy Hole track we can up against some foreign tourists bogged down to the chassis in bulldust on Giles Road. Huge signs say 4x4 only, bulldust and corrigations in pictures and words, but they still attempted it in their hired Toyota Camray. There isn't any accessable tow points on the camray but we managed to hook up the strap on the front pull him out off the dusthole and then pulled him back through the hole back in the direction they came.

The Finke Gorge track was new territory for us and was very enjoyable - quite different and interesting scenery right along the track. We had a beautiful sandy (not dusty) camping spot. There was a den on dingos close by with pups old enough to go out hunting - you could see all the large and small footprints round the camp in the morning. I managed to locate the den a got a glimpse of one of the pups. Dad had been quite obvious around the camp the afternoon before.

From Boggy hole we went to Palm Valley where we had one of the warmest days for a while. The track to the camping area has been gravelled since our last trip and it was much drier - no water to cross on the way in - so it was easy driving (boring Mark would say). We did the walk through the valley the next day and then drove on and camped at Redbank Gorge in the West McDonalds. Namatjira Drive had been recently bitumened so no washed out creek crossings between Gosse Bluff and the Lookout and no rocks to get punctures like last trip.

We had specifically bought some blowup boats to go up Redbank Gorge. Last time we really wanted to go up - but the water is so cold there is no way could swim unaided (unless you come from one of the scandinavian countries where I believe it is a much more common practice). So Mark and I and Adam and Larissa carted our boats, paddles, batteries and pumps up the K and a half or so to the gorge. The water was much lower then our last visit but we decided to have a go anyway. We took both boats over the first main pool but left one on the rocks and all piled into one to go up the gorge. It was so much fun and the gorge is just spectacular. After going over a number of rocks with the boat and through a number of pools we got to a section which was just too narrow to get the boat through so we never went right through the gorge. (Next time maybe a wetsuit and surfmat). This was such a great experience I would recommend it to anyone.