Dreamtime's Daily Glimpse - Tuesday

Good morning everyone :)

Zoe got on the wrong bus from school yesterday & she had to wait 1.5 hrs until she could get the next one.  I am currently without a car at the moment so unfortunately I couldn't just go & pick her up.  It turned out that it would have taken me longer to get to where she was by public transport than for her to wait & get on the next bus.

Oh, I was beside myself with worry, so I told her to go & sit in McDonalds which was a two minute walk (all the time I was on the phone to her).  When she got there I asked her to pass the phone onto the store manager.  I explained the situation to the Manager & she promised me that she would sit Zoe at a table where she could be seen by staff to ensure nobody approached Zoe.  I then gave her my number & asked her to call me if she needed to.

I was on the phone constantly to Zoe & I can't tell you how long I held my breath until she was on the bus & on her way home to me.  Needless to say, Zoe said she will pay more attention as to which school bus she gets on next time lol.

Has this sort scenario or one like it ever happened to you?  Tell, tell, tell so that I don't feel like a bad Mother lol.

WIN!   WIN!   WIN!

Have you entered to win my blog candy yet?

It ends soon.  You can enter here.

Have you seen Edwin lately? lol

Here is the daily glimpse :)

Even though I have only had the chance to work on this design for about 1 hour since the last update, I can't quite seem to get the 'boyish mojo' happening.  I am so used to creating girly designs that I am totally stuck with Edwin lol.

However I am sure that I will get there in the end :)  Fingers crossed.

I just need to sit with him for a few hours and listen to his story lol.

Thanks for visiting my lovely followers :)

See you tomorrow?  I know I will be here.  Will you?

To get daily email updates you will find the sign up box at the top, right hand side of my blog.

Hugs

Dreamtime's Daily Glimpse - Sunday

Hi everyone,

I hope you are all having a good weekend.  I know we have :)

Did you do anything special?

(This is the second time I have written this post.  Blogger decided to delete the last one lol).

Zoe, my Daughter, wanted to camp out in the garden this weekend in her new tent, so she invited her friend Shannon to stay over.  Regardless of how cold it got during the night they both stayed in that tent all rugged up lol.  

I kept going outside & almost begging them to please come inside into the warm but they assured me that they were ok.  I don't know how they did it cos' it got extremely cold on Friday night into the early morning hours lol.  However, I was determined not to ruin their fun & left the two brave girls to it.  They told me in the morning that they had a great time :)

Anyway, onto the design at hand.

As you can see from the photo below, I have coloured in Edwin :)

The photo's are a bit blurry, my apologies for that.

This time I decided to stain the canvas as I normally cover it with material.

However, due to Edwin being a little bit battered & bruised I want to try & ensure that this design has that 'rough & tough' feel to it.

Thanks for stopping by & I hope you will visit again tomorrow to see the next little glimpse.

Don't forget you can always sign up for email updates which you will find near the top of the page on the right hand sidebar.

Till then, take care :)

Dreamtime's Daily Glimpse

Wow, it's Friday already.  

The week went extremely quick for me.  

I am definitely looking forward to the weekend. 

My Daughter Zoe is having her friend stay over & she wants to camp out in the garden with her friend in her new 4 man dome tent that I bought her last Sunday.  She is sooo excited about it, but let's just wait till tonight.  I'm sure I will hear them banging on the front door wanting to come back into the warm lol.  It is going to be freeezing outside lol.  I don't think they quite understand that yet lol.  I will let you know how it goes tomorrow :)

As promised, from today I will be giving you a daily glimpse of the design I am currently working on.

So far, I have picked out the image.  This time I am using Edwin.  I figure that I haven't really done any boyish designs so I thought Edwin with his band aids would be a good start :)  

I don't actually have the stamp for this one.  The stamped image was given to me a year or so ago from a lovely lady I knew from an online group that I used to belong to.  

I have already started colouring in Edwins face & skin with Copics.

I have also picked out the colours of the cardstock and design papers (Chatterbox Inc & Carolees Creations) that I am going to use.

As you can see, Edwin looks a little battered lol.  Poor little thing.  

Hmmm I wonder how that happened?  

Maybe he fell off a wall, scooter, skateboard or maybe he was running?  

What is Edwin's story?  Why is he covered in band aids?

What do you think happened to poor little Edwin?  

Leave me a comment & tell me your theory which will give me idea's on how to create this design :)  

Also, don't forget to enter for my blog candy which you can find here.

Hugs

Happy Times - Magnolia Tilda - Wedding Card Keepsake

It has been a really interesting week with all that I am learning either on Etsy, photography & colouring with Copics.  There is SO much that I want to learn & it just seems that there is never enough time during the day to get it all done :)  One step at a time I keep telling myself lol.

Want to WIN a Magnolia Mini stamp blog candy?

Just click here to enter.

Those of you that follow my blog would probably know by now that I normally colour two of the same image when designing.  I do this as I find it easier & quicker to do two rather than just one.  It is probably because I already have the Copic colours picked out & it saves time.  I mention this because...yes, I have used this image on another design before :)

This is Bride Tilda with her Bridesmaid.  I used Liquid Pearls to do the tiara, necklace & also the shoes on the Bridesmaid.

I also used Stickles on the bottom of Tilda's wedding dress, veil & both of their shoes.  I tried a different technique & distressed the flowers with Ranger Distress Ink.  I really like the effect it gives them.  I think it helps them stand out more.

This is the actual card part of the Card Keepsake.  I used rope pearls & ribbon that I have had in my stash for some time.  It has all gone now so there is room to buy some more lol.  Do you like the hat pin?  The spacers I bought off of Ebay some time ago & also the heart embellishments were actually charms but I cut the hoop hole off of it.

I covered the canvas in cream / ivory coloured material & the lace around the edge is hand-sewn.  I am really happy with how elegant it turned out, I just wish I could take better photos that give the design more justice as it is a lot more prettier 'in person'.

I decorated both insides of the card this time :)

There is definately quite a lot of dimension to this design...and I love it!! lol

Oh, there is a tag too :)

This design is available at my

Dreamtime Designs Etsy Store.

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I would like to enter my Happy Times Wedding Card Keepsake into the following challenges:

Incy Wincy - Let's Party
The Shabby Tea Room #124 - Oh' so pretty in pink
Simon Says Stamps - Anything Goes
The Paper Shelter #74 - Metal Embellishment
Aud Sentiments #59 - Tag It
Moving Along with the Times - Pink, Pearly & Pretty Celebration
Allsorts #164 - Distressing
Pile It On #30 - Tag You're It
Stamptacular #173 - To Die For
Really Reasonable Ribbons #52 - Summer Colours & Ribbon
ABC - T for Two (I used two of the same heart charms)
 Crafts & Me #94 - Anything Goes
Bunny Zoe's Crafts #26 - Swirls & Lace
By the Cute & Girly - A Day at the .... Wedding
CMC Copic Challenge #48 - Anything goes with a girly twist

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Well, that is all I have for you today, however as of tomorrow I am going to post here every day with daily updates with what I am doing with my next design.  I will post photos as a step by step to design completion.  A Daily Design Glimpse.  Maybe you can give me ideas & your thoughts on it as we go along ? :)

I'd better go grab that coffee before I have withdrawal symptoms lol.

BFN & stay safe.

Hugs

Butterfly Tilda Card Keepsake - Wall Hanging

Hi everyone, thank you for popping over :)

Well, the weather doesn't seem to be improving.  We have had rain nearly every day for nearly 2 weeks and it has been cold and miserable.  Hopefully, the weather will improve very soon.

Have you entered for the gorgeous Magnolia Cupido blog candy yet?

You can enter here.

I have completed two designs that I would like to show you, but I will post one now and then the other tomorrow.  

This one is called Butterfly Tilda.

This design was put together a while ago but as a Scrapbook Topper, however I have now converted it to a Card Keepsake - Wall hanging.

I love the colours green and red.  They go together really nicely.

As you can see there is a banner where a childs name can be added (or it can be removed as it is not stuck to the design) so that it can be personalized.  It looks great when hung on a bedroom wall or door.

The inside had been decorated to compliment the outside.

This design is available at my

Dreamtime Designs Etsy Store.

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I would like to enter Butterfly Tilda into the following challenges:

There's Magic in the air - Recycled (Buttons)

Paper Take Weekly #72 - All things girly

The Paper Shelter #73 - Anything Goes

Card Crafters Circle #32 - Children

Polka Doodles #29 - Recycled (Buttons)

Sentimental Sundays #112 - Things with wings

Really Reasonable Ribbons #52 - Summer & ribbon

Magnolia Stamp Lovers - Tilda Only

Crafts & Me #93 - Ribbon & a bow

Bunny Zoe's Crafts #26 - Swirls & lace

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That is all I have to share with you today but I hope that you will visit tomorrow :)  Take care & thank you for visiting.

Blue Jeans Tilda Card Keepsake

WIN SOME MAGNOLIA BLOG CANDY!

You can find out all about it & enter here.

Today I took my Daughter to an indoor rock climbing centre with a good friend of mine.  She also brought along her Daughter & then before you knew it, a friend of the girls came with us too.  We had a great day out, plenty of laughs & it was good quality time which we all hadn't had in a long time.

The girls had fun going climbing up & down the walls with each holding onto the others rope so that they didn't fall down.  It was good to see the team work happening even at the age of twelve :)

Lachlan (their friend) was the comic of the day.  We ended up going to Macdonalds afterwards & after eating his burger Lachlan decided that he was going to get a soft serve ice cream cone.  As he was waiting to be served & got no attention, he purposely fell to the ground lol.  Needless to say, he got the attention he wanted lol.  He then ordered his soft serve cone & waited patiently...whilst dancing in front of the counter..what a sight lol.

When the staff member had his soft serve cone & went to hand it to him, Lachlan proceeded to take the ice cream...but instead of taking it by the cone like the rest of us would, he literally grabbed the ice cream in his hand! lol  It was the most funniest thing I have seen in a long time especially when the girl that served him just looked at him in bewilderment as though he had gone absolutely mad lol.  Too funny :)

This is Blue Jeans Tilda.  She was originally on this card....

But I converted her as a Card Keepsake.

However, I've made this one into a personalized wall hanging for a child's bedroom.

It didn't take me long for me to put it together as the majority of the design was already done.  All I needed to do was put it onto the canvas & decorate the inside of the card.

All I then had to do was add the ribbon for hanging :)

This design is available at my

Dreamtime Designs Etsy Store.

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I will be adding Blue Jeans Tilda into the following challenges:

Incy Wincy - Dust Off (I have had these buttons in my stash for years)

Crafty Creations #178 - Free for all

Just Magnolia #165 - Bingo (Blue, Flowers, Glitter)

RRR #52 - Sizzlin' Summer Colours & Ribbon

Magnolia Stamp Lovers - Tilda Only

Oldie but a Goodie - Flower Power (I used the buttons)

ABC - T = Two (I used two brads)

Crafts & Me #92 - Stitching

Lovely Hangler / Magnolia #47 - Anything Goes

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Thank you for coming by.  I will be posting here tomorrow as I have a few things to tell you in regards to my photography research & give you a few tips I have learnt along the way :)

Take care & be safe

Hugs

My Photography Learning Curve

This is a long post.  My apologies in advance :)

I have been really busy creating two more new designs over the last 48 hours, however I haven't posted them onto my blog or even Etsy yet.  The reason being is because for a while now I have not been happy at all with the way the photos of my designs turn out.

I don't know whether you have the same problem, but whenever I take a photo of my designs, the picture never seems to do any justice to them.

So, last night after completing my second design for this week, I decided that it was about time I stopped procrastinating & put one of my goals into action and that is to learn how to take better photos.  I was determined not to put any more of my designs on my blog or Etsy until I had a better understanding of my camera & also how to take a better photo.

So my search began.  I just recently joined & have become a great fan of Pin Interest.  Finally I can stop worrying about cluttering up my pc with sites / blogs that interest me, colours or creations etc that inspire me.  I can now find it all in one easy place on any of my 'boards' that I have created in Pin Interest :)

I highly suggest checking it out, it's sooo easy :)  If you want to follow me on Pin Interest, you will find the button on the top right hand side of my blog.

Anyway, I had Pinned a few sites to one of my boards which have more info on taking photos etc.  I was reading for hours & snapping my camera taking shots of my designs but of course, the light was too dim and I was getting tired lol.  

I also found out with reading my camera manual that it doesn't have a 'shutter speed' nor 'aperture' options for adjustment!  (If you don't know what I mean by that...its ok because I am thinking of adding info on my blog about all this stuff & how to take a better photo..if you're interested in that sort of information that is?)  In the end I went to bed feeling as though I hadn't achieved much but I had 'at least' done some reading about the subject lol.

This afternoon however, I decided that I was going to take the bull by the horns and grabbed one of my designs and started clicking my camera :)  I did take my design outside, thinking it would be better light than inside even though it was a horrid overcast day with the threat of rain lol.

I also took a pen and notepad with me so I could write down what adjustments I had done to the camera.  The last thing I wanted was to take all of the photos, with different settings and find the 'close to perfect shot' and not remember the camera settings I had it on lol.

I was backwards & forwards (about 6 times) going to my laptop to upload the photos to my pc & looking at the different shots I had taken.  With that, I worked out which photo was the best one, looked at my notes, adjusted my camera back to the setting that it was when I took the photo & then went back out changing a few things on the camera each time I took more shots.

It took a while but at least I got some photos that I believe are better than the ones I took just last week.  It was well worth the hassle lol and at least now I know what camera settings to try next time its a cold dreary day :)  

Here are my results:

Before

After...

Before...

After...

MASSIVE difference..don't you agree?

I mean, its not perfect & very far away from being the 'perfect shot' but considering my camera doesn't have what the 'professionals' have on their camera, I am pretty happy with it :)  Amazing how much better it looks now than it did before.  

I now realise BIG time with how much one can learn with just a little bit of self motivation lol.

Another thing is that it would have been alot more FUN if I had friends clicking their camera's with me and learning how to take a better photo at the same time as I was :)  I had no-one to share my excitement nor my accomplishment with that 'totally got it' and understood what it meant to me to get a better picture of something that has taken me hours to create and design lol.

Soooo...I have been thinking and wondering whether YOU have had or still do have the same problems as I do with not knowing much about photography?  Do you find it frustrating when you create a gorgeous design & then the photo you take doesn't do it any justice at all?

I am interested to find out just how many of you understand what I mean and if you feel the same way?

I mean, I'm not a professional photographer or anything but if there are enough people out there that feel the same way, then I am thinking of posting more about how to rectify photographic problems & make this a place where WE can all get together & learn from eachother etc.  A place with not having just information but also challenges too that will get US motivated to learn more about our camera and how to take a better photo.

What do you think?  Are you interested?

If so, please leave a comment and let me know your thoughts :)

Hugs

Peek - A - Boo Baby Card Keepsake

Here I am again for the second time today :)

Did you see my blog candy that you can win?

You can enter here.

This week I have been busy getting my Dreamtime Designs Etsy shop organised & converting one of my previous designs into a Card Keepsake.  

Do you remember this one?

Before....

After...

I found an easier way to combine photo shots so that I'm not overloading you with pictures :)

I designed the inside of the card to compliment the front.

I also decorated the back of the canvas to make it more appealing to the eye & included my personal stamp.

This is the front of the Baby Card Keepsake.

I added some gorgeous frilly lace around the edges which are hand sewn.

Added some ribbon bows & some lovely die cut flowers with pearls.

Of course I also had to add the ribbon to enable to hang it :)

What do you think?

This design is available at my

Dreamtime Designs Etsy Store.

I am going to convert nearly all of my designs into Card Keepsakes so if there is anything that takes your fancy, then now is a good idea to purchase as it may not be there next time.  Also I have a few of my designs on sale!

Add my Etsy store to one of your favourite shops on Etsy & you will get another 10% off including sale items :)

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I have entered this design to the following challenges:

Cupcake Craft #199 - Bright as a button

Bearly Mine #42 - Ribbons & Bows

Papertake Weekly #70 - Anything Goes

ABC Christmas - M = Make a Gift

Stampavie & More #171 - Lots of flowers

The Paper Shelter #71 - Flower Power

Craft Punked #27 - Monochrome

Creative Card Crew #14 - Swirls & Pearls

Bunny Zoe's Craft #25 - Girls, Girls, Girls

By The Cute & Girly - A Day at the 'Dress Shop'

Creatalicious #35 - Anything Goes

The Ribbon Girls #21 - Girly

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Don't forget to enter for the blog candy here :)

Thats all for me today.  I hope you like the new design.

Let me know what you think.

Have a fantastic weekend.

Hugs