It's my birthday

Yep, it is my birthday today, and 26 days since my last post.  What have I done since then?

David is also an August baby so we had a road trip to the South Island for his birthday.

It was a fabulous week and I did convince him to stop at a few secondhand and vintage stores.  I came home with some lovely vintage treasures.


                                                       Dunedin was beautiful.

Sunrise from Larnach Castle Lodge

A few of my vintage goodies from the South Island.

I decided it was high time I visited my parents in Whangarei, so shortly after we returned from our trip I was back on the road again.  It is a long way to their place so I stopped and visited with friends and family on the way there and back.

Before I left I completed a layout for Dad for his birthday of Mum on their wedding day.  Sadly I forgot to photograph it so I only have this sneaky peek.

Apart from this layout I have been rather lost down a junk journal rabbit hole and really loving trying something new.

A sneak peek of a wee book I am making.

Junk journals are much trickier to share.  I am thinking I am going to have to make use of my tripod and film a flip through.  It seems to be the way.  However I haven't actually completed one yet as they are very time intensive and lots of work.  

When I returned home from my time away my garden had been transformed.  One garden bed completely gone and the enormous pond also gone and filled in.  It is going to look amazing when the mud dried out and the grass is planted.  What a huge surprise.

We have down lights going in through out the house too so lots of work going on.  Spring is nearly here and that means lots of gardening to get stuck into.

I have so many projects I want to get started and finished, it's good to be so busy.

I'd better get a junk journal finished so I can post it up here.

Kate.

Making a beautiful mess

The Prima Marketing Inc design team call closes tomorrow.  I have been watching closely on Instagram as all the entries roll in, literally thousands to them.  SO many talented crafters and artists from all over the world.  As you know I have been on a journey to be more courageous with my creative life and really life in general, so I have put myself forward for this design team also. In many ways I don't think I have the experience and presence on social media that many of the entrants have but it's a dream company to represent so it's always worth a shot.

With that in mind I decided I would try out a few new projects. A mixed media tag and an altered box.

I used some black gesso and waxes on the tag and i loved the mess and process of it.  It was a lot of experimenting with new products I had purchased in Auckland at SENZ craft expo.

My mixed media tag

A close up

I also prepped a couple of boxes to alter. One black and one white.   I completed the white one.  I used so many different mediums and products on the box.  I had a vintage kind of look in mind but really, I am not sure how I feel about the colour it turned out. Its quite hard to photograph.

I used Lindys Stamp Gang sprays which are very shimmery, but for some reason the flowers on the left look quite dark in the photos.

I think it will be something I go back to an play around with some more.  With most of these techniques and products the only way to learn is to use them and experiment.  There is really only so much you can learn from others on You Tube and then it's really up to you to throw caution to the wind and have a go.

Speaking of You Tube I have discovered two women who make books and Junk Journals and I imagine I will be posting some makes on here soon.

In the meantime it's off to Masterton tomorrow to Parent/teacher interviews and then to Palmerston North for the night.

After that it will be all about preparing to go to the South Island for a week for David's birthday.  I have purchased some merino for the cold weather.

My plan is to stop at as many second hand stores as I can possibly get away with and see what vintage finds I discover and of course take loads of photographs.

can't wait!

Kate.