More portraits!

Portrait #2
Portrait #3

This portrait drawing is rather addictive, now that I am finally drawing faces that I like!!! I resigned myself (many years ago) to not being able to draw. Even my husband used the words 'very very good' for portrait #2, and that is extremely high praise from an exceptional pencil artist!!!! I really cannot wait to get stuck into these with some colour, and I hope I can find time to bring out the paints this week.

First time for everything

I've been a great admirer of Willowing for some time now. I really enjoy her You Tube videos, and I've learned a lot from her fast motion paintings. So imagine my delight when my mother bought me the Fabulous Faces & Portraits course on dvd for Christmas!!!! I started my first lesson today, and this is the result. It's the first time I've ever attempted to draw a face, properly, with proportion and shading and everything, and I'm pretty pleased with the results. Yes ... I know I have a long way to go, but having made quite a good start I'm really looking forward to practicing and learning more. Thanks Mum, and thanks Tam!

She's kidding ... right?

I am not a specialist. Let's get that clear straight up. I have never chosen one thing and stuck with it. I get bored easily and my mind strays, I get new ideas and just have to try them! During a conversation with some friends recently I kind of freaked out her 15yo dd. She couldn't believe that I do as many things as I do. As they drove off I called out "I also type 110 words per minute!" LOL ... and she turned to her mother and said ... "she's kidding, right???!!!"

No ... I am not kidding, and at one point I wondered where all these crazy endeavours would take me. Well ... to some interesting places. I got to travel around Australia visiting Spotlight stores, I've had projects published by magazines, I've co-written a pattern book and I design for 2 amazing Australian companies. So ... for your information / amusement / bemusement ... I present some of the stuff I do.

* Photography (including Santa portraits)
* Digital art (including fairy portraits)
* Photo restoration
* Crochet
* Cross-stitch (including my orginal design kits 'Fifi & Frankie')
* Cloth dolls
* Folk art / decorative painting (acrylics)
* Scrapbooking
* Stamping
* Cardmaking
* Copic certified designer (colouring in for grown-ups)
* Design sewing patterns for Australian Girl dolls
* Design for Brandcorp Pty Ltd, brands including Martha Stewart, Francheville, Milford Threads and Semco

... but my main passion is definately teaching! So, I'm looking forward to some new teaching experiences in 2011. Bring it on!!! Enjoy the pics :D

I'm a Kenny K Krafty Girl!!!!

I'm excited, honoured and blown away all at once ... because I have been chosen to join the Kenny K Krafty Girlz Design Team in 2011 *WOOO HOOOO*. I have been a huge fan of Kenny's work since discovering copic markers and digital stamps earlier this year. I'm really looking forward to working with the new and existing DT members, as well as Kenny and the lovely Donna.

Please do pop over to the challenge blog and join in. There's a lot of inspiration to be found there. And if you've not used digital stamps before, you're missing out on an affordable way to build a highly versatile stamp collection!!! So go check out the shop here.

One Card - Six Challenges!

This is a first for me. As I was putting this card together I realised it might meet more than one challenge this week. Um ... yeah!! And then some!!! LOL

So ... for the challenge record ...

Kenny K's Krafty Girlz are challenging us to be monochromatic - check!
Paper Play Challenges are challenging us to be monochromatic too - check!
Friday Sketchers challenged us to use this sketch - check!
Delicious Doodles challenged us to use a digi stamp - check!
Cute Card Thursday challenged us to colour with The Blues - check!
Copic Creations challenged us to identify our light source (front on) - check!

Card ingredients!
Stamp - 'Troublemaker' by Kenny K
Greeting stamp - All Occassions by Darkroom Door
Copic markers - skin E50, E51, E53, R22, Hoodie, eyes & shoes B60, B63, B66, Jeans B93, B95, B97 & 0 with denim for texture, Icecream B00, B02, B05, hair & ice cream cone E31, E33, E35, E37
Distress Inks (on circle) Tumbled Glass & Vintage Photo
Cuttlebug embossing die: Birds & Swirls
Prima Flowers
Kaisercraft gems
Ribbon from stash

Kenny K's Krash Kittenz

I was checking out Donna's Bearly Mine Crafts blog, and saw a gorgeous card she's made with one of the new Krash Kittenz stamps. I had to share it here ... isn't it awesome!

Then I saw the name of the stamp ... Mae Western ... and I thought to myself "that's the name I entered for that stamp in the competition". Reading on I saw that Kenny K has actually chosen the name I suggested for this sassy lady, and I am over the moon!!! It's the first time I've won anything in the blogging world, and it couldn't have come at a better time (it's been a rough week).

So ... soon I will have this beauty to colour myself, and I hope I can do as good a job as Donna has. Go check out the other Krash Kittenz and the rest of the gang at Kenny K's online shop. The Krafty Girlz have a pink challenge this week, and I'm hoping to get a card together in a couple of days to enter that one. I love pink :D

The Town Scrapper Friday Challenge

It's Challenge time again at The Town Scrapper!!! I know, I know ... I've used the Victoria Case 'Made with Love Lola' stamp again LOL. I can't help it. I really like colouring this one!

So ... our challenge today is a colour challenge. We are using this awesome Christmas wrapping paper as our palette of inspiration! I chose the pinks and greens as my main colours, and then added touches of the blue and black.

Card ingredients:
Stamp: Victoria Case, Made with Love Lola
Greeting stamp: Darkroom Door, All Occasions
Swirl stamp: Heidi Grace
Inkpad: Memento Ink, Tuxedo Black
Pink ink: Tim Holtz Distress Ink, Worn Lipstick
Copic Markers: E50, E51, E53 (skin), G21, G24, G28 (eyes), RV000, RV02, RV04 (dress, socks, hearts), R27, R29 (strawberry), B00, B02 (hat, socks, plate), E43 (cake), YG00, YG03, YG06 (apron & shoes), C1, C3, C5, C7 (hair)
Prima Flowers
Brad
White embossing powder
Bazzil Bling cardstock

The Town Scrapper Monday Showcase

OK ... I'm a tad late posting this (I thought I'd already done it *oops*). This is my Monday Showcase card for The Town Scrapper. On Mondays we show off cards made using some of the great stamping lines that Phebe carries in her store. And a heads up ... December is sale time, with 25% off stamps and 30-60% off everything at The Town Scrapper!!!

Get on over to the blog and see what the rest of the design team has for you, and don't forget to enter the brads & eyelet challenge ... just one day left so get in there!

Card ingredients:
Stamp: CC Designs, Coffee Kiki La Rue
Ink: Memento Ink, Tuxedo Black
Copic markers: E50, E51, E53 (skin), E71, E74, E77 (hair), R20 (cheeks), YR00, YR02, YR04 (flowers), Y02 (flower centres), YG00, YG03, YG06 (robe & slippers), B93, B95, B97 (mug)
Greeting: Stampin' Up
Scallop border punch, SU
Scallop circle punch, SU
Dimensional Magic
Bazzil Bling cardstock
Pattern Paper: My Minds Eye

For my ESS girls!

I promised to post the class samples using the lovely Tiddly Inks stamp that we did this month, so here's the start of it.

This bookmark uses the following copic colours:

Skin: E50, E51, E53
Hair: Y11, Y21, Y23, E13
Books: C1, C34, C5, R00,m R02, R05
Dress/bow/socks: YG00, YG03, YG06, G07

She is highlighted with a white gel ink pen
Cardstock is Bazzil bling
Pattern paper is All My Memories
Greeting stamped using copic markers with Darkroom Door alphabet stamps
Ribbon: Stampin' Up
Digital stamp from TiddlyInks.com

Watch for the diary and card soon!

One Card - Five Challenges!

I think I've only ever managed to do this once before ... this card meets FIVE challenges!!!

First, here are my ingredients:
Stamp: Rock Chick by Kenny K
Greeting Stamp: All Occasions by Darkroom Door
Ink: Frayed Burlap Distress Ink by Tim Holtz/Ranger
At You Spica: Gold and Clear
Copic Markers: shading on paper piecing E31, E33, E35, Skin E50, E51, E53, Hair C1, C3, C5, C7, Guitar G21, G24, G28, Eyes G99, G00, B00
Other: White gel pen, Prima flowers, brads

Now ... here are the challenges, and make sure you go check out the DT entries, because they were all so inspiring!

Kenny K's Krafty Girls challenged us to use spots & sparkle - check!
Friday Sketchers challenged us to a super simple, but cool sketch - check!
Colour Create challenged us to use black/mint green/gold/cream - check!
Spoon Full of Sugar challenged us to use distressing - check!
Copic Creations challenged us to shade on paper piecing - check!

This was fun :D

Kenny K DT Call!!!!

OMG, OMG, OMG ... Kenny K is doing another DT call!!!! These are some of my fave stamps to colour, and I'm totally psyched at another chance to apply for the DT!!!

The toughest thing is trying to pick 2 cards that I think are my best. Let me have a think about it while you read the details about the DT call that I nabbed from Donna's blog:

If you'd like to enter to be a Kenny K Krafty Girl and work with some of the most amazing digi images, please enter your name below with Inlinkz and write a post on your blog about the DT call showing us what you consider to be at least 2 of your best cards.

We're looking for people with a well maintained blog where you post regularly and will actively promote Kenny's digi images by entering challenges as well as participating in our weekly challenge. You will be on a team that does a challenge every other week

you will be expected to comment on entrants cards for the challenge you are participating in

What you will receive in return is access to Kenny's previous digi's and any new releases that come out.

This DT call will end on November 30th.
All succesful applicants will be contacted within the first week of December...good luck

Alright ... I think I've decided. Here are my fave 2 stamps, and hopefully my cards are good enough to take me to the KKDT!!! NO ... I had to add in one more, 'cause I really like the blokey stamps as well *hee hee*.

Woo Hoo! Krash Kittenz are nearly here!

OK ... so you know how much I looooooove Kenny K digital stamps, right? Well, the new Krash Kittenz are nearly here! One slight exciting dilema ... they need names! Why is this exciting? Because Kenny is asking us to name them!!!!

So ... here are some of my name suggestions :D

A Penelope Cruise'n
B Miss Understood
C Racing Stripes Rikki
D Lana Lariat
E Hot Rod Hannah
F Va Va Vrooooom
G Mae Western
H Sassy Sara
I Barb Wire (or Barbi Wire)
J 38 Cali
K Wild Wild Wendy
L Wandering Gypsy

Go check out Kenny's other cool stamps, including the new Dude Stuff (because it's hard to find stuff for guys, right!) by clicking here.

Stamp Storage

This is how I have stored my stamps for the past 5 years. If they are not SU (sitting nicely in their boxes on a shelf), then they are in here ... this little storage cart I bought at Coles for $10 and put togther myself!

In the top drawer are inkpads.
In the second drawer are single block stamps.
In the third drawer (my favourite!) are my cling mounted stamps & blocks.
In the fourth drawer are alphabet stamps.
In the fifth drawer are random acrylic and unmounted rubber stamps.

It's not a perfect system, but I've had it in place so long that I know where everything is.

Lime Tart is having a special giveaway ... and now that I've seen it, I think I would much rather have my cling mounted stamps in one of these, at my fingertips! I'd clear space on my desk for it ... truly I would!!!

New Australian Girl pattern!

I've been working on this one for a while now, and the finishing touches were done today!!! If you have an Australian Girl doll in your house, like to sew and you're a fan of Masterchef or Iron Chef ... then you might want to nab one of these patterns asap so that you can make up a few chef type items for your doll for Christmas! They don't take much fabric and you can find everything you need at your local Spotlight store! The aprons are a super quick project, perfect for beginner sewers!

How do you get a copy ... keep watching the Australian Girl online store for the official launch. Click here to go to the store, and check out the gorgeous kimono pattern while you're there :)

The Town Scrapper Monday Showcase

It's Monday Showcase time at The Town Scrapper!!!! I had a little peek at what the other DT girls have created before I posted mine, and there's a couple of cool ideas I might borrow myself. Get on over to the blog and see for yourself :)

Ingredients
Stamp: Magnolia, Tilda
Greeting stamp: Darkroom Door, All Occasions
Pattern paper: K&Co, Brianna
Copic Markers: E50, E51, E53, R02 (skin), E13, E15, E17, E19 (hair), BV00, BV02, BV04, BV08 (dress), G21, G24, G28 (skirt/socks), C1, C3, C5, C7 (shoes), 0 for blending
Inkpads: Memento, Tuxedo Black and Distress Ink, Vintage Photo
Diecuts from my local dollar shop, inked with Vintage Photo distress ink to tone them down.

Owl be back

Get it?!! LOL

OK ... here are a few little crochet owls for a special post. I have 5 ready for the Handmade Craft Market at Erina High school on 21st November ... and a red & green one under construction. If you're loving these little owls I am happy to make one for you. These are all made from Milford crochet cotton, which is 3ply, so soft and the most vibrant & wonderful colours! Awake on one side and asleep on the other

If you're thinking "I'd love to make one of them myself", then you're in luck! The pattern for these little owls features in the new Milford Threads crochet pattern book, and you will find it in your local Spotlight store in the new year (hopefully!). I co-wrote it with my Mum, and her patterns include bootees, hats, green bag, table runner and other such nifty items. Our pic is on the back ... it's very exciting!

Questions about my crochet owls? Leave a comment or email me at dlewis71@aapt.net.au for more info :)

I work and sort by colour!

It used to be that all my brads were in one box, my eyelets in another box, ribbon in another box, fibres in a folder, tags in an envelope ... and when I tried to scrapbook I was constantly dragging out tonnes of stuff and hunting for the right embellishments.

Then one day it occurs to me that I work by colour, and therefore wouldn't it make more sense if my embellishments were sorted by colour? YES! So ... down to The Reject Shop to buy some 5L tubs for $2 each. I made the labels from my digital scrapbooking kits, and now I am all set! Now when I'm working on a layout or card I choose my cololur scheme ...let's say pink & purple. I choose papers then get out the pink & purple boxes to find the embellishments to match. No more hunting!!!

It worked so well that I helped my friend Linda make over her scrapbooking supplies using the same storage ideas. Doesn't Linda's desk look better?! Inside the tubs things are separated using embellishment boxes and snaplock bags. Less time searching means more time playing!

The Town Scrapper Friday Challenge

"Button, Button ... who's got the button?" said Willy Wonka. I know who's got buttons ... we do!!! Over at The Town Scrapper come and enter our challenge by using a button or two (or ten!) on your creation. I have used an old levi strauss button as the centre of my flower, but there are so many other ways you can use buttons!

Ingredients include:
Stamp: Victoria Case, Keeping the Peace Evan
Greeting stamp: Darkroom Door, All Occassions
Pattern paper: SEI (gosh it's old!)
Bazzil Cardstock
Everything else is from my stash, and isn't it fun using up these goodies I've been collecting over the years!

What are you waiting for? Crack open your button jar and get creating :D

Scrumptious blog candy from Tiddly Inks

This blog candy has a bit of everything:

3 sets of acrylic stamps, stacks of paper, cardboard, bits and pieces of goodies, mirrors and magnets, some cardstock and envelopes, a few finished cards and most important a CD of Tiddly Inks images worth $50....you pick the ones you want up to $50. :) Wahooooo!!!!

Read more: http://tiddlyinks.blogspot.com/#ixzz13j7fir5D

I love Tiddly Inks ... they surely must be my favourite digital stamps!

For my sister + 3 challenges

I am confident on posting this before my sister sees it ... because she has a toddler and a preschooler and never looks here! LOL

I made this mega bookmark for my sister last night in lieu of a birthday card. I mean ... cards are nice, but they don't do anything. She's a big reader, so I thought I'd make a giant bookmark for the huge novels she reads instead!

Stamp is Lillith, a Lil Lolita from Tickled Pink Stamps
Copic markers: E50, E51, E53, C1, C3, C5, C7, W1, W3, W5, W7, R20, R22, R27, R29, G94, G99, B00, BV00, BV02, BV04, BV08, 0
Clear spica pen (earrings, buttons, roses)
Letter stamps: Darkroom Door, Alphabet Medley
Tim Holtz Distress Ink, Dusty Concord

* I printed my digital stamp onto Xpress It cardstock (the absolute best card for copic markers!).
* I used the colourless blender (0) to put down the colour for the eyeshadow, the eyes and help mute down the W1 & W3 for the white areas on her dress & sash. I'm really glad I did, because I am entering this bookmark in the Copic Creations blog challenge here.
* I used my Sizzix to cut squares for the letters, then trimmed them down, so I am entering this in the Spoon Full of Sugar challenge.
* I learned the eyeshadow technique from a great video on Color Me Copic by Kelly Booth, and this bookmark fits the current challenge (I think).

The Town Scrapper Monday Showcase

I'm saying hello, but this sweet little Mo Manning design from Stampavie is saying "Bye Bye". Isn't she just the cutest stamp ever? I had her coloured for ages before finally getting around to pairing her with this KI Memories paper and getting stuck into it with the sewing machine.

Head on over to The Town Scrapper blog and see what the rest of the Design Team have for you to drool over. This is just one of the many stamp lines that Phebe carries at The Town Scrapper, so if you're in the mood to shop & stamp ... you know where to go!

Here's what I used on this card:
Stamp: Stampavie Mo Manning's "Bye Bye"
Greeting: Darkroom Door, All Occassions
Pattern paper: KI Memories
Bazzil Cardstock
Sewing machine thread
Red ink: SU
Foam Tape: Martha Stewart

One bookmark, two challenges

Last week I coloured up this image in preparation for a class I am teaching next month. I finally got around to turning it into an actual item a couple of days ago, and keep forgetting to edit photos. Since today is a Photoshop day, here it is, and I am thrilled that it suits 2 great blog challenges!

Mad for Markers have challenged us to make anything but a card - check!
Color Me Copic have challenged us to colour folds in clothing - check!

Here are my ingredients:
Stamp: Tiddlyinks digital stamp
Copic markers: Skin E50, E51, E53, E04, Hair Y11, Y21, Y23, E13, Books C1, C3, C5, R00, R02, R05, Clothing YG00, YG03, YG06, G07
Pattern paper: My Minds Eye
Ribbon: Stampin' Up
Cardstock: Bazzil bling
Alphabet stamps: Darkroom Door, All Occassions
Stamping Paper: Xpress It

The Town Scrapper Friday Challenge

Welcome to this week's challenge from The Town Scrapper! Today I have created a sketch for everyone to use. This is one of my go-to layouts when making cards. Lots of space to show off lovely pattern paper and your new favourite stamp as well as a greeting and embellishments ... what more could a girl want??!!

I would really love to see what everyone comes up with using this sketch. Don't forget that you can turn it on it's side or flip it any which way ... and who says everything has to be square? Not me! Head on over to The Town Scrapper blog and see how the rest of the Design Team has interpreted this sketch ... lots of inspiration! Make a card using the sketch and enter it to be in the running for a lovely prize from Phebe's shop.

Ingredients:
Stamp: Victoria Case, Big Dreams Evan
Greeting Stamp: Darkroom Door, All Occassions
Paper, ribbon, flowers, brad & button from my stash (which is way too big!)
Copic markers including YG's, B's and my fave red combo R20, R22 & R27.
Tim Holtz Distress Ink, Vintage Photo

Copic Certification

I am really excited, because I have finally decided to do Copic Certification!!! I was introduced to copic markers by the awesome Mandi-Lee Klinger at SIA in May this year, and I'm afraid there is no cure for my addiction. I was also really lucky to meet Marianne Walker and Lori Craig at SIA too (see ... there we all are in the photo!).

The other reason to be excited is because the course will be in my old stomping ground of Penrith, and I will get to visit some of my fabulous friends, whom I miss LOTS.

So ... watch out world ... I'm all copic'd up and ready to teach anyone who will listen!!!

Ahoy there me hearties!

I taught my last pirate copic class last night at Erina Scrapbook Store, and I'm really excited about the 3 classes I have lined up for November. We will be re-running the copic introduction class, then concentrating on uses for the colourless blender, then feathering technique and accenting pleats & folds in clothing. It's going to be great!

In the meantime, I did promise the girls last night that I would show the alternative pirates I coloured for class. Here the red & lime Kraftin Kimmie Billy Blythe and Strawberry Pirate stamps, coloured with my new favourite colour scheme! The colours are as listed under the photo. Enjoy!

The Town Scrapper Friday Challenge

Happy Halloween everyone!!! Here in Australia, Halloween really isn't a big thing, though I admit we do live in the local 'trick or treat' belt LOL. Our girl guides have a big halloween disco, and it's such fun dressing up! I kept that in mind when making my project today, and as I have 2 princesses of my own as well as 2 lovely little princess nieces (and a dinosaur nephew, but that's another story), I decided to use this lovely Victoria Case stamp for my project. I decided to use turquoise & black to colour with, and I love this so much that it is on my desk, making me smile.

So ... here are the ingredients!
Stamp - Victoria Case, Magical Sophie
Sentiment - computer printed, Beths Cute Hallmark font
Glitter paper - DCWV baby boy stack (I love stacks!)
Black cardstock
Black grosgrain ribbon
Copic markers (can't remember the exact colours, but it does include BG10 & BG15 for the dress!)
Sewing machine

Do go check out what the rest of the Design Team have in store for you in our Halloween challenge today! Don't forget to join in by entering your own halloween entry to win a lovely stamp from The Town Scrapper. Click here to go to the blog!

New kids on the block

No ... not the 80's boy band, but some funky new crochet patterns. There has been nothing in the crochet pattern market for emo, gothic or simply funky people. Well ... now there is! Check out Quirky Crochet by Melissina on Etsy. She has 3 new patterns available, and given that we're talking about my uber-talented sister, I know there's more to come! Patterns are PDF, so no shipping, and they have step by step colour photos and very clear instructions in USA standard crochet terminology.

You can check out Cordelia here and Cardamon here. There's also a super-easy rainbow serpent for the reptile lovers out there.

Now, I know I'm probably a bit biased, but seriously ... aren't these cool???!!!

One card - Two challenges (again!)

I coloured up this Kraftin Kimmie 'Charlotte' stamp a few weeks ago, and decided she was perfect for two lovely challenges today.

Tickled Pink Stamp monthly challenge gave us a sketch - check!
A Spoon Full of Sugar challenged us to use fall colours - check!

Ingredients!
Stamp - Kraftin Kimmie, Charlotte
Greeting - Darkroom Door, All Occassions
Inks - black, Memento ... Red, SU
Papers - from my stash
Cuttlebug embossing die - swirls
Ribbon - Strano Designs
Copic markers: E50, E51, E53, YR00, YR02, YR04, R20, R22, R27, C1, C3, C5, C5, E00, E02, E04, B00, B02, B04