flix

I live with my husband (he's so great he just transformed the spare bedroom into a craft space for me xxxx) and my two children. We live in the heart of Gippsland, Victoria, Australia. This is still quite rural and there are plenty of dairy cows around - the cheese produced in this area is world class! At home we live on a small acreage that keeps us happy, with sheep, chooks, pet dog, cat, rats, the list goes on. We are currently trying to build a vegie patch so we can become more self sufficient. As a crafter I have always been creative. I learnt to sew quite young and made all of my kids clothes until it became uncool. I am trying my hand at quilting (so I started 3 yrs ago, at least I'm still trying), have been a card maker and stamper for many years until I discovered scrapbooking. In this medium I am happiest, playing with paint, paper, fabric and lots of texture (never expect anything flat from me - it won't happen). I like to make layouts, off the page projects, am trying my hand at atc's and inchies now, and have the pleasure of teaching classes at my local scrapbooking shop - Fat Cat Scrappin'.

Right now I love crime fiction, you know, the kind you can just pick up and read without thinking, no heavy plots or storylines - yes they are all pretty much the same, but I'm enjoying them none the less. Love Kathy Reichs, Patricia Cornwell

When I'm feeling a little more intellectual or just have some extra time I love to read biographies, its fascinating how different we all are. Maos last dancer was great, haven't seen the movie yet, and I was intrigued by Hospital by the River, about the young ladies in Ethiopia and Burned Alive, another tale of the poor conditions our fellow women endure.

Since I love scrapbooking and texture I love fabric and ribbon, its on most of my layouts, or a little stitching. I want to be able to reach out an touch my layouts, so haberdashery is perfect, it can get really flat in an album while still offering texture. Regularly I use kraft as the base for my projects, a perfect blank canvas. My fave brands of papers are bo bunny, pink paislee, october afternoon, kaisercraft (some lines are a bit yukky) and imaginesce. I use a lot of flowers since I have a daughter to scrap about but have been reluctant to buy Prima because the cost is often prohibitive and I can create my own fancy little blooms. I love buttons - simple round ones, vintage, assorted shapes or I've even been known to make my own out of fimo. Chipboard is so versatile I find myself using it more and more. There are so many manufacturers making beautiful designs I don't use my cuttlebug too much anymore. I love little birds and insects that I can paint, paper or pretty up with bling, but usually use it raw or naked, I love the natural look it adds to a project. I am learning how to use distress inks at the moment, I'm in awe of their absolute possibilities. Although I produce many projects that look all shabby, distressed or vintage-ish, this is normally a result of poor execution, rather than deliberate distressing. I am not really a stamper, but have an increasing collection of stamps right now. I particuarly like the background stamps that are available, you can use them in so many ways. Kaisercraft have produced some lovely ones, damask, grid and bubble wrap are the ones I use most. I am a glimmermist convert and use it on so many projects I regularly run out of my favorites. The new core'dinations sanding Gadget is brilliant and also is listed as a favorite. I have a special drawer for little bits that don't really have a category or can be used in multiple ways, lots of little paperclips and tinker pins, millions of pins with a variety of heads, particularly Fiskars hearts. The ability to add some of these little bits and transform a project neve ceases to amaze me. I am regularly making little books and canvases lately, using all of my flat scrapbooking supplies with many of my sewing supplies. Felt is awesome! It can be transformed into any number of creations and is a staple for me. Sewing is a relaxing passtime of mine, be it with beautiful fabrics or machine stitching paper nowadays. I am a fan of shabby floral cottons which can be used for dresses, quilting or little projects like handbags etc. My old Janome doesn't get the workout it used to, but I still would never part with it. I like to make lots of little doo-dads, pincushions, little purses and bags, cushions, childrens puppets, to use up all of my leftovers and feel less guilty about my purchases!

Hmmm... not really a lot, I think most items can be adapted to suit any project with a little spritz or splash or sparkle. I am not a lover of black on my projects, there are just so many other possibilities. In fact, I am not a lover of black at all, can't think of anywhere I would find it in my house. On a broader scale I do not like dark chocolate, not a fan of crochet, think bath products are over-rated and could live without seeing another brussell sprout in my life!