Rainy days make warped cards!

We have had our fair share of cyclonic activity up here in FNQ. There is yet another cyclone warning current and it has not really stopped raining since Larry struck about 4 weeks ago. You might think that makes for perfect card making conditions - conditions are not favourable for gardening, shopping, going out, washing clothes, etc, so why not make cards? Well, it is interesting that cyclonic conditions make for very humid days even though it is not hot, and everything is sprouting mould, and warping. So card making is an extra challenge. Even some of my books have warped and heavy tomes I have been using to flatten things out nicely are not always the best choice right now. I do have a small flower press which allows me to screw things down tightly. That seems to be a little more successful. By the time the recipients get the cards, they may be back in their original warped condition or begin to warp as soon as they are out of the envelope!! Oh well. I know everyone is having the same problems, so I am not going to let this stop me making a girlfriend's 40th birthday card. See you later :-)

Plundered the shops today

I went on a big stamping supplies expedition today. Spotlight was having a sale, so I had a look, of course. I came away with two new stamps, a new ink pad, ribbons, water colour pencils, stamp colouring pens, chalk, (the blackboard variety) and a couple of small towels all for under $25! I thought that was excellent :-)
I was wondering about an old makeup pallet I have that I have never used - surely the blushers and foundation would be useful for blending and colouring? I am going to experiment.
Maybe plundering the shops will be a thing I do less soon - SU! has come to Australia and I am trying to contact one of their demonstrators....

Major Mitchell Cockatoo!

Yep, getting new supplies does make me want to stamp. Not that I have explored the possibilities of all my other supplies! I tried out embossing with some white sparkly powder but it didn't 'take' very well and was almost invisible on white cardstock. Maybe black or navy or dark brown - a dark colour anyway - cardstock would have been the better choice. Then I tried filling in the background with pale green ink and water washing it. I coloured in the cockatoo with crayola pencils. He was still insipid. So I resorted to my black pigment ink pen. That did it. Not the effect I wanted, and he has a different 'personality' than the stamped image, but I kinda like him!