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Wednesday 19 December 2012

Tag - You're It!!!!

Are you a hoarder of tags? Do you have a tag addiction? Or is that just me??? Lol!!!
If you pop on over to the PaperHaus blog, my December project shows you how to use your tags to create a unique background. 

 "SWEET"
My Paperhaus DT theme for December was journalling. So I took a different approach and used journalling tags (and spots) to create a unique, one-off background for my layout. 


Honestly, it was so easy. I sprayed some Glimmermist on my cardstock background. Then I grabbed a handful of tags and started moving them around until I found a design I was happy with. Then I stuck them down, and went from there. 


 I love the colours in this range - so beautiful, bright and vibrant. So very me. :-) And there are lots of flowers for fussy cutting...sigh...makes me happy. 


And to finish it off, I used some glorious Manor House flowers that I had left over from the Manor House blog. I added a little sparkle, and I was all done!

Products Used: Crate Paper "On Trend" papers, stickers and chipboard; Manor House flowers; Zva Creative rhinestones; Liquid Pearls; Glossy Accents; and Kindy Glitz. 

Happy Hump Day!!! Hope your having a scrappy one! :-)
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Sunday 16 December 2012

The Value Of Life?

The most precious thing we have is our life. It is something to cherish, to protect, and to enjoy, because once it is gone, it is "game over"! Yet, humanity has such little respect for life. And this attitude is not just towards human life, but to the animals that inhabit this planet as well. The lower down you are on the food chain, the less respect there is, yet it has been shown, over and over, that if you mess with the food chain it affects EVERYONE. Yes, the other animals, humanity, and the environment. Yet we keep on doing it without heed for the disasters that are ahead. 

I have watched two videos recently (on You Tube) that left me heart broken. Both for very different reasons. But both shared one thing in common - a lack of respect for life. In the first video, a young Asian mother of 18-19 years of age, beats her 9-10 month old daughter. Why? Because the child was conceived from rape, and because the mother is frustrated. I watched this mother slap and hit her baby around the head and legs, hit her daughter with a remote (from a fan or television), beat her continuously with a firm cushion, push her away, kick her, and yell at her. This baby is completely defenceless. She cannot talk, she cannot walk, and she is totally unprotected. I watched her cry in terror and fear, from the very person who is supposed to love her. I watched her cry until she was too exhausted to even move. 

I understand it may be difficult to love a child conceived from rape. But that child is still created from 50% of her genetics. If she didn't want the child, why didn't she place her up for adoption? Or even place her in an orphanage? There are so many women around the world who cannot have children of their own, but it is the one thing they want, more than anything else in the universe. A child to call their own. Yet this mother places such little value on the life of her very own daughter. Is this what we have taught the younger generations? Then shame on us all!!!

The second video showed me how "that pretty piece of fur on your collar" came to be there. Let's just say, I am NEVER, EVER going to buy another item that has any type of fur (unless they can prove that it is 100% synthetic). I watched as hundreds and hundreds of dogs and cats (in China) were crammed into tiny cages, lying on top of each other, unable to breathe, move, or stand up, then taken away, killed, and skinned for their fur pellets. It was horrifying. I cannot even begin to describe just how horrific is was - to see endless rows of cat and dog skins thrown on the ground, drying in the sun. Why? For money! And so someone can have a pretty fur-lined collar. Again, life is considered worthless, except for the money it can bring to the greedy business men. 

And now, on the other side of the world, in Newtown Connecticut USA, the right to own a gun outweighs the value of life. How is it, that a 20 year old, can have access to rapid-fire weapons? How is it that we say you must have a licence to drive a car, you must wear a seat-belt, and you must do the speed limit. But to own a gun, and not just a hand-gun, but a rapid-fire gun, you don't need anything. No rules, no regulations. Why? The answer is simple. Humanity does not value life. Why? Because politics and money speak louder than words and actions. Yes, we can say the man was a monster for taking those 26 lives, but the blame doesn't lie with him alone. Take a long hard look people - we are just as much to blame - for it is humanity who has taught so many generations that life has no value. We have taught so many generations to lack respect for themselves, their community, and their elders. We taught them... so who is to blame now? 

If we want to change the way things are done, we need to do it ourselves by setting an example. Not by pointing our fingers at everyone else. If we want people to respect life, then we need to teach them how!!!

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Sunday 9 December 2012

SWAT December Challenge...

December is here (boy, that came around quick!!!). Which means we have another sketch and challenge for you over on the Sketches With A Twist blog.


Here's the sketch that I have designed for December. 
Lots of room for interpretation, and making it your own.
And the twist is to use glitter somewhere on your layout. 

"THE DESK"

Here's my take on the sketch. I've followed the design rather closely, but still added a few elements to make it mine. 

Don't forget to pop on over to the SWAT blog to check out all the inspiration from the other design team members. They have all taken very different approaches to this sketch. :-)

Have a great weekend!
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Saturday 8 December 2012

Framed...

Now, don't everyone go and fall off their seats, but I actually have not one, but two off the page projects to share with you today. I decided to put my Imaginarium Designs chipboard to good use and create two photo frames to give away as Christmas presents (I'm trying to either hand-make everything, or to at least buy locally - no big global companies for me this year, thank-you very much!!!). 


This is my first Imaginarium Designs Design Team project for December. You can find more photos and full details (techniques and products) over on the Imaginarium Blog


 I love the different shades of silver - very subtle, but it makes all the difference.

And of course, a frame wouldn't be complete without lots of flowers and bling. In this case, it was Prima and Tom Holtz to the rescue, lol! 


My second Imaginarium Designs Design Team project for December is another frame, but using different techniques and colours. Again, full details can be found on the Imaginarium Designs blog.


The squares in the centre of the frames are transparencies (Glitz Designs), so the light actually shines through.


I've filled the squares with papers from Glitz Designs, and decorated with Prima flowers and vines. Just pop on over to the Imaginarium Blog for a full materials list and technique descriptions. 

So, what are you making for Christmas? :-)
Hope you are all having a fabulous weekend, and getting in some scrappy time!!!
Thanks for dropping by.
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Wednesday 5 December 2012

My Monthly Challenges...

There just aren't enough hours in the day...sigh...I haven't even completed my two monthly challenges from November yet (but I will, I promise - eventually). Now it time to put up the December challenges. 
 So here goes...


This is the sketch I have designed for my December Sketch Challenge. I wanted to try something different - I rarely (if ever) use a grid design, so I thought it was time to get some practice in, lol! 


And here is my colour inspiration choice for December (found on Pinterest). I decided to go with colours that I have never used before - pink, navy and gold, and I am thinking maybe on a kraft background?

If you would like to join in and use my sketch or inspiration picture to inspire your creativity, please feel free to do so. All I ask is that you give credit for using my sketch. :-)

Happy Hump Day!!!
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Monday 3 December 2012

December PaperHaus Sketch...

The December PaperHaus sketch is now up over on the PaperHaus blog. And guess what? I had the honour of designing this month's sketch. Woo-hoo! Hope you like it. :-)


Here's my sketch design for December. If you pop on over to the blog, you will find lots of layout examples by our wonderful PaperHaus design team members. 


This is my take on the sketch. Titled: Noel (Baby's First Christmas). 
I've used lots of Jillibean Soup goodies (papers, die cuts, stickers, flowers, twine), along with some Heidi Swapp ghost shapes, washi tape, Couture Creations flowers, and Zva Creative pearls. 

And just a few close-ups:

 It looks like real snow, doesn't it?

 I tried to create this layout without flowers, but it just didn't work for me.
So I gave in and added them!

Lots of layers, and little added bits.

Happy Scrapping everyone!
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Saturday 1 December 2012

PaperHaus 12 Days Of Christmas Blog Hop...

 Are you ready for some fun, some inspiration, and some prizes? Then here we go...

Here's the line up for the blog hop. Just be sure to hop along, leave comments, and once you are done, leave a comment on THIS POST to be entered into the epic giveaway drawing on December 12!

PaperHaus Blog --> Start here!!!
Julianne --> You are HERE!
PaperHaus Blog --> This is your next stop!

I am so glad you stopped by today. Christmas is my favourite time of year (although I have my suspicions I would enjoy it even more if it was winter over here, instead of summer!!!)
But whether it is summer or winter, it is a great excuse to decorate your house with beautiful hand-made decorations. Let me take this opportunity to share a few ideas with you... 

I wanted unique personalised tags for my daughters, so I created these. All I needed was a couple of tags, some paper, flowers, chipboard, damask sticker (or stamp), ribbons, and glitter. Ever so easy and quick to make. And this will ensure there is NO MIX UP with presents, even if they are wrapped exactly the same. 

I love clear Christmas baubles because I can do so many things with them. I simply filled the bauble with strips of rolled paper, added a sprinkle of glitter, and stuck a rhinestone embellishment on the outside.

Here's another of the clear Christmas baubles - and they also make wonderful gifts for family, friends, and teachers. :-) It doesn't get more personal than a hand-made Christmas tree ornament. 

Now, for today's giveaway! Prima has offered this giveaway for us to hand out to one lucky PaperHaus follower! That's right! All you need to do is become a follower of the PaperHaus blog, and leave a comment on THIS BLOG POST telling us what your favourite segment of the Winter Issue was your favourite! It doesn't get any easier than that! 




Don't forget, your next stop is HERE -- the PaperHaus Blog.

Have fun and Happy Hopping! 
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PaperHaus Winter Issue And Blog Hop...

It's here! It's here! It's here! The PaperHaus Winter Issue is now available. 
And do you know what that means? 
It means the PaperHaus 12 Days of Christmas Blog Hop is about to start. :-)
Are you ready for a fabulous 12 days of fun and prizes? 
Then hop your way over to PaperHaus and check this out:


What are you waiting for? Get hopping! And don't forget to leave some love and comments to win yourself some scrappy goodies. :-)

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Mount Barker Christmas Pageant...

I surprised my girls today with a trip to Mount Barker for the annual Christmas Pageant. We had soooooo much fun. It was an absolutely glorious day (unlike Queensland where I would have been melting with the heat and humidity). Today may be the first day of Summer, but the differences in temperatures between Brisbane and Mount Barker are nearly unbelievable. In Brisbane today it was 30 degrees celsius (and undoubtedly hot and humid). In Mount Barker it was a cool, but sunny, 18 degrees celsius. I am NEVER, EVER, EVER returning to Queensland to live. NEVER!!!!!

I made sure we arrived early to secure a good spot. While waiting for the pageant to start, I went exploring (I left hubby and the girls minding our seats. Actually, the girls were drawing chalk pictures on the road, while hubby was minding the seats, lol!). Let's just say, I found some AMAZING shops in Mount Barker, and many of my family and friends are going to receive gorgeous Christmas gifts this year. Oh, and yeah, my house is going to look really pretty too!!! Yes, the retail therapy up there is really, really good. Sigh...my kind of town... :-)

But eventually I ran out of cash and arms to carry everything, so I had to settle for watching the Christmas pageant instead, lol!  

 Christmas trees anyone? 
These ladies were lovely.

 And all the characters were so happy to stop and pose for me. :-)

Some even jumped in front of my camera to make sure I took a photo of them, lol!!!

Did I tell you I am totally in love with Mount Barker? Really! I cannot wait to call this my new home. The people I have met here already have been so nice, and so friendly. After years of searching, I think we may have finally found out forever home. :-)

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Tuesday 27 November 2012

Imaginarium Designs And Manor House Blog Hop!

Welcome to the Imaginarium Designs and Manor House blog hop! 



It just can't get any better - exquisite chipboard and beautiful flowers combined, to bring you endless inspiration!

MY GIRLS
I wanted to use modern, non-traditional colours to show how versatile the ID chipboard and Manor House flowers can be on a layout. Yes, this layout is about my girls - but there is not an ounce of pink or pastel in sight. Yet, it still clearly says that it is a girly layout. 
(At least my youngest will be happy - she's not a fan of pink, lol!!!)

I had such a glorious time mixing the Imaginarium Designs chipboard with the Manor House flowers. 
They are so pretty and feminine. Exquisite little things, indeed!!!
What makes them so perfect is the mix of sizes - big, small, and everything in between. 

I love these Lotus flowers - they are stunning! 
And with a spray of Dazzling Diamond Glimmermist, they sparkle beautifully!!!

I created this finish on my Imaginarium Designs chipboard title using red glitter embossing powder. I am in love with this stuff - it creates such an amazing finish and colour. 

 A squirt of glimmermist, and a little kindy glitz, to add that extra sparkle and shine to my flowers. 

I used the large and small Imaginarium Designs oval chipboard frames as my main focus points in this layout. 
I inked them, then coated them with clear embossing powder to create a glossy finish. Then a few rhinestones, and some liquid pearls, to add the finishing touches. 

PRODUCTS USED:

Manor House Flowers
Meadows - white; Mayglo - yellow; Lotus - yellow.

Imaginarium Designs
Oval Frame With Brackets - Large (IDFR0009)
Mirrored Bracket On Oval Frame (IDFR0005)
My Girls Phrase (IDP0035)

Other Products:
Fancy Pants papers and die cuts; 
Zva Creative rhinestone flourishes;
Zva Creative rhinestones;
Liquid Pearls;
Red Embossing glitter powder;
Clear embossing powder;
Washi tape;
Tattered Angels Glimmermist;
Ingvilde Bolme/Prima ink.



Thank-you for dropping by. Don't forget to hop along to the next blog - and remember to leave a comment so that you will be entered into out draw for an ID prize pack. :-)

You should have started here: Imaginarium Designs blog
You are currently here: Julianne McKenna-De Lumen
Your next stop is here: Joanne Bain

If you get lost, a full list of all the designers and their blog links can be found on the Imaginarium Designs blog and the Manor House blog. 
(The blog hop list can also be found on my post below).

Happy hopping everyone!!! xx

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Monday 26 November 2012

Let's Blog Hop!

The Imaginarium Designs and Manor House Blog Hop has started!!!! Over the next 5 days, Imaginarium Designs and Manor House are combining forces to present you some AMAZING creative inspiration. All you have to do is visit these blogs, leave a comment, and you will then go into the draw to win an ID prize pack.

MONDAY 
Imaginarium Designs Blog  <-- here="here" p="p" start="start">

TUESDAY 

WEDNESDAY 

THURSDAY 

FRIDAY

Don't forget, start at the beginning on the Imaginarium Designs Blog, have fun checking out the awesome creations, and don't forget to leave a comment.

 (And I'll see you tomorrow for my turn!). :-)
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Tuesday 20 November 2012

Washi Tape Background...

I love washi tape because it is so versatile. 
But recently, I've had several people ask me "what do you use washi tape for?". 
So today, I am sharing a simple washi tape tutorial with you over on the PaperHaus Blog.

Creating a washi tape background is one of the easiest things to do. All it involves is placing strips of washi tape wherever your heart desires. In my case, I layered some strips vertically (damask pattern), followed by more strips horizontally (clouds). 

Some people may think why bother? But this is why - instead of a plain, boring background, you are adding texture, depth and colour with these strips of tape (you can also create backgrounds with masks, spray mists, paint, tissue paper, texture paste, embossing, etc.). 

For full details please pop on over to the PaperHaus blog.

Here's the final creation - and to think, all this started with some simple strips of washi tape. :-)
Titled: Love You To The Moon And Back.


Can you see that pink swirly thing in the background? \That was originally a brown felt fence from Prima. I painted it with gesso, inked it with a coral-pink, then added tatered Angels Glimmer Glam on top. Yep, it's definitely not brown anymore, lol! 

And I've even coloured the Ingvilde Bolme (Prima) resin embellishment. I added some Glimmermist, a little Glimmer Glam, and some Kindy Glitz. 

For the full materials list and all the details on this layout, please head on over to the Paperhaus Blog. You'll find lots of other inspiration over there too! :-)
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Friday 9 November 2012

Not All Fluff And Sweetness...

For some of my readers and followers, the following may be disturbing. For that, I am truly sorry. But people need to know and understand that animal rescue isn't all fluff and sweetness. It is sad, heart-breaking, and at times horrifying. What humanity can do to a defenceless animal is truly terrifying and stomach-turning. I work for a Cat Rescue and Foster Society in Adelaide (Flick's). I'm going to share what two carers had to endure last night. But it pales in comparison to what this cat must have had to endure during it's lifetime. Pierre was a stray rescued from a feral cat colony late last night. 

"I'm about to cry or throw up or both. Tonight I received what is easily my worst rescue. I didn't look better until now and I'm horrified. This cat is covered in wounds and fly blown - yes he has maggots on him. He is purring and smooching me... It's more horrible than words. They are everywhere and inside him. We were pulling them out of his leg...inside of it. After they shaved him we could see the extent. They were all inside him. He was in a horrible state, words honestly can't describe it" . Felicity.

"It' was easily the worst thing I've seen in my life....they were deep inside him, his tail was fat with them...through is back, and through his leg. It was just horrific. I hope we never ever see another kitty in that condition again". Sofie.

In the end, the veterinary staff decided Pierre was too weak, and too far gone, to endure and recover from surgery. Pierre was put to sleep. :-( At least now, his agony has ended. 

So the next time that you complain that I am late sending out an order, please consider why. This is what I do. And it is not easy. It is heart-breaking and tiring. But it is most rewarding when you see a fostered kitty finally accept love, and go to his furever home. That is what we aim for. 

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