Another Random Collection!

Such a busy week - I was away with work, first "out bush" and then for a flying visit to Perth so creativity time this week was rather limited. Needless to say I am loving being home, enjoying the glorious sunny autumnal weather (although I am surprised how quickly it is getting chilly here inland) and making the most of the weekend creativity-wise!

I decided it was time to revamp my blog a little bit so I am trying one of those lovely free backgrounds you can get here - I had to go for my favourite rusty autumnal tones. I had a lot of trouble editing my header though to fit the background format - one of these days I will actually spend a bit of time getting more knowledgeable about these things rather than just trying to do it when I have only got ten minutes spare. It isn't perfect but I am "settling" for how it looks at the moment.

The postcard at the top is my latest finished one for the Unique Stitching fundraiser for the Red Cross. This one has a fabric paper background which I have stamped and sprayed liberally with Moon Shadow Glitz in a gold colour to give it a lovely glow (which doesn't really come across that much in a scan). The other three postcards are coming along and I will do a bit more on those today probably.
Yesterday I finished off another two Oxford Impressions samples - the blue one is in the heavily decorated category and the pink one is in the simple and understated category. I even used two of my many but very under-utilised decorative punches. The stamped background on the blue one is a lovely image from the third plate (French Script) in the Oxford Impressions vintage french theme. I enjoyed making these and have several more in various states of development. (My temporary desk - a large trestle table - is covered with them and all the bits and bobs I have pulled out to go with the theme. I had to use the trestle table as my desk was too cluttered from other stuff and I couldn't cope with it!)

And then I have had beautiful mail - look at these gorgeous cards (which I have overlapped and trimmed on my scanner!) that I bought from my friend Julia (Verdigris) Rose over in Melbourne. I first met Julia at the Artistic Journey Art Retreat in Melbourne in 2008 and then got to catch up with her again at the start of the recent Creative Soul Art Retreat. The cards are prints of her gorgeous paintings and I am going to frame some of them so that I can keep them for myself. Julia has started up an Etsy shop and is just the loveliest person. PS I need to clean my scanner as the prints don't have those dots on them!!

My Calendar Girl postcard for April also arrived this week from another lovely lady - Doreen over in Canberra. Once again my scan doesn't do this card justice - there is so much texture and depth in it. I really feel as though I am in the middle of birch forest when I look "into" it. Look here for the picture that was used as the inspiration for this month.

And finally but in no way least, here is the last of the little houses from the Creative Soul Retreat Exchange. The wonderfully talented Annette was not able to come to the Retreat but participated in the exchange and her gorgeous little "glass house" arrived here this week. This will be joining all the others in my collection here next week. I couldn't resist using a house shape for the scan!So I am going to try and stay away from the computer as much as I can today as I have lots of plans for baking (the requests so far include chocolate chip muffins and a cinnamon apple cake) and sewing and painting and stamping and reading, oh and of course some sudoku and if I have any time left, a fast walk on the treadmill!