Pink Tulip Thanks card

Yesterday I created a card for Mary's challenge, ABC5, at Soul Scrappers. The challenge required use of enamel dots. I had some pretty coloured ones. I've used 6 green and pink dots, on the inside as well as on the front.

Thanks for looking.

Challenge time at Unstampabelles - Annie Lennox

June 2015 challenge at Unstampabelles

Who is Your Hero/Heroine? We all have someone we look up to and admire. Create a mixed media item to celebrate your hero! (It is also the Queen's birthday and Ramadan month, if this helps for some). Your hero may be your spouse or another family member, a national or international figure or indeed a fictional person. 

The twist is to journal about it in your blog.

Here is the prize. Gorgeous, right?

I greatly admire and esteem the singer Annie Lennox.  When I first heard the Eurythmics in 1983 I was blown away by her voice. The title track of that album was Sweet Dreams (are made of this) and I loved it so much. It's my go to karaoke song.  Wasn't sure what to make of her androgynous look but she was still strong and powerful and I loved that voice of hers. Wow.

From what I know of her know I can only love her even more. She is also a political and social activist, notable for raising money and awareness for HIV/ AIDS as it affects women and children in Africa. She has remained current. Who heard her sing Take Me To Church with Hozier? She blew him out of the water. My opinion. 

So, I picked a photo from Google images to use. Couldn't go past her Diva album cover. Stunning.

I picked up the pattern from the wallpaper in the background of the photo, those diamonds, plus the colours and used a stencil and lots of inks to created my own background.

Then, I took some white and some lime cardstock and using some bright pink stayzon ink stamped some sheet music.

I've also added ribbon, feathers, applique, rhinestones, a hand made satin flower with a covered fabric button, a brad, some twine and a metal treble embellishment, plus some patterned paper.

Here are a few close ups.

Hope you like the challenge and feel you can join in. Check out what the other DT members have done. Don't forget there are reveals each week so if you get a bit stuck there will be more to look at.

We won gold!

Well, I can hardly believe it. My Chorus, A Cappella West, won the regional Convention. We are gold medal winning champion singers. We now have the chance to compete at International level next October in Las Vegas.  How exciting is that? We will have to work hard and fund raise like mad.

It was my first Convention. I've been a member of A Cappella West for 2 years in 3 weeks' time. It's such a great achievement for all involved. Our 2 Directors achieved Master Director status. It's so fantastic for them and for each of us, but especially for the 15 out of 80 that competed for the first time. We were all extra ecstatic.

We got the chance to perform on stage 3 times. The first time was to do our two contest songs, Somewhere Over The Rainbow and Jazz Me Blues.

The second time was when we went on stage and accepted our medals, then we sang Gospel Medley and How We Sang.

Lastly, as winners we performed in a Showcase, where we sang Gospel Medley and Holding Out for a Hero.

Here are a few pictures for you to see.

This is us on stage. This is a photo of our last big moment on stage during the Showcase. We had just completed singing Hero.  We usually all wear pink and black. We have 5 quartets that competed and that's why some of the ladies are in other costumes, they're wearing their quartet costumes that they had performed in during the Showcase.

This is my friend and roomie Andrea and I in front of our room. I had put a scrapbook patterned paper on our door for people to writes messages on. It will be going in the scrapbook I will make of our trip. We are showing our gold medals.

Vote for my Chorus

Hi friends,

You may have read my recent post about singing at Convention in Hobart. It's less than 2 weeks away. It's getting very exciting now.

We have the opportunity to gain some much needed funds from a Grant we've applied for at Bankwest. It's easy to help us win this grant. Just vote at the following link:

A Cappella West

Choose A Cappella West for us to win. Feel free to share on Facebook when it gives you the opportunity. Thanks so much if you do this. It's quick and easy. We do a lot of fund raising but it would be so wonderful to just be given some money towards our costumes.

We sang at a family and friends concert on Sunday. It was such a fun experience and a great way to get the nerves out before the real thing.  Here is a pic of us in full costume and makeup.

Photo credit to Mark Hamersley. He did such a great job of capturing this wonderful image full of movement. Those simple sequinned ponchos I helped make actually look good here.

See if you can spot me. I'm in the middle on the second row from the front. 

UNSTAMPABELLES May challenge - Vintage

UNSTAMPABELLES May 2015 challenge

Pillow Box die

Family History - who is in your family tree? Make a scrap page or create a card or photo page/inside a frame about a family member who is in the past. Mother's Day is in May in Australia too and of course, MAY DAY.

The twist is to Make it Vintage! Remember, it does not have to be a card!
Plus, remember not to use stamps.

WHAT I DID

When I think of vintage I tend to think of the colours black and brown and the word elegant. That's what I've gone with for this challenge.

I have made a card for my Mum for her birthday. I started with a wooden frame which has been painted brown. Then I added some black cherryArte rub-on leaves for effect.

Paper wise I have used American Crafts brown cardstock as the base. I have corner rounded all my papers to match the rounding on the wooden frame. I've used Creative Memories vintage patterned papers, which I've inked with sepia ink.

Isn't my sticker cute? She looks positively pouty and cheeky.

Finishing touches are a cream ribbon, 3 different black flowers and some brown rhinestones and a sentiment sticker.

I hope you can join in this challenge. Pillow boxes make great little gift holders and this die will make life really easy if you win it.