Black and White Christmas

Wow, I can't believe this is my 71st post! I'm very excited this morning as I am hosting my first Hero Arts 90 minute scramble on the HA Flickr group. The participants have 90 minutes to make a card based on the task set by the host of the scramble. I have participated in many scrambles in the past and it feels strange not rushing off and making a card!
My challenge is based on this inspiration photo taken at Ambiance in Victoria Market last month - Yes, Christmas decorations are up in the shops!

The rules of the Scramble:

Make a card with at least one HA stamp based on the challenge. The challenge is to make a Black and White (Silver, cream and kraft allowed) themed Christmas card within 90 minutes. 

Here are my photos made for the challenge to get the participants going.

Since Moxie Fab World is having a Christmas card challenge for World Card Making Week, I'm submitting these cards for the challenge. Hero Arts just announced details of their October competition and the theme is Holiday Cardmaking. Perfect timing!

Card 1 Ingredients:

Cardstock - Neenah Solar White, black Canson, Silver card

Stamp - HA CL558 Snowflake Ornaments

Ink - Versamark

Others - Black embossing powder, Kaisercraft pearls, Ranger Stickles

Card 2 Ingredients:

Cardstock - Neenah Solar White, Black Canson

Stamps - HA CL558 Snowflake Ornaments, CL463 Snowflakes and Edges

Ink - HA Wet Cement, Versamark

Others - White Embossing powder, Kaisercraft pearls and rhinestones, Ranger Stickles

Challenges

Moxie Fab World - World Card Making Week: Make a Christmas Card

Hero Arts October Contest - Holiday Cardmaking

The Modern Man

I'm hosting my first Hero Arts 90 minute scramble this weekend on the HA Flickr group. It is scheduled for 7am (AEST) on Sunday 30th September - check here for international times in your countries. Please join me if you can as I have an interesting challenge which will be revealed just before the scramble starts. I've participated in quite a few challenges in the past and it is fun as you have to finish and upload the card within 90 minutes.
This is a quick CAS card I made inspired by the current Runway Inspired photo. I wanted to keep it simple with clean lines reflected on the carpet of the runway. I was not able to match the exact colour of the model's jacket, but found the closest colour I had. This card is intended for a man, so I decided not to add any bling, ribbon or twine to it. I added some score lines to represent the lines in the carpet (a bit hard to see as this photo was taken at night).  I'm also submitting this card into the Simon Says Stamp Anything Goes challenge. Thanks for dropping by!

Challenges:
Runway Inspired - RIC#20 Canali Spring 2013
Simon Says Stamp - Anything Goes!
Ingredients:
Cardstock - Neenah Solar White, Tim Holtz Kraft Core
Stamp - Hero Arts CL530
Ink - Ranger Archival Jet Black
Others - MFT DieNamics Layered Label Die

Mali in the City 2

The rest of the 24 Mali's were located along the Yarra river and at various locations North of the city including two at the entrance of the Melbourne Zoo. One very intelligent Mali was located in front of the Medical Faculty at the University of Melbourne. My favourites out of this lot includes Faunaphant at Eureka building and The Frank Realities at Melbourne University.

Along the Yarra 13

Mirka's Mali by Mirka Mora sponsored by Schweppes 

Wave to Mali by Andrea Carydias sponsored by Clark Rubber 

Mali's Dreaming by Judy Nicholson sponsored by Wurundjeri Tribe Land
 and Compensation Cultural Heritage Council

Kevin Presley by Steve Monk sponsored by Equipsuper 

No Ordinary Elephant by Nicole Slater sponsored by Melbourne Storm 

Bromley Two by David Bromley sponsored by Pricewaterhouse Coopers 

Tiger Mali by Andy Murphy sponsored by Melbourne Tigers 

Self-Portrait by Mali the Elephant sponsored by Zoos Victoria 

Elephantasy by Elise Martinson sponsored by VicSuper 

Faunaphant by Sarah Hogan sponsored by Eureka Skydeck 

Urban Jungle by Jake Latimer sponsored by Mitchell Family Office 

Spooky Possum Mali by Pippa Makgill sponsored by The Hamilton Family 

Humanageric by Sally Heinrich sponsored by Herald and Weekly Times 

Mali's North of the City
These lovelies were some of the first ones I photographed as they were all located within walking distrance from work. They were at Victoria Market, Parkville, Melbourne University and at the Zoo. I miss seeing them on the way to work since they were taken away last week! The Ming Vase Mali was the very first one I photographed with my iPhone.

Ming Vase Elephant by Brian Cheung sponsored by EcoFuture 

Patch by Amy Robinson sponsored by Spotlight Stores Charitable Foundation 

The Frank Realities by Antonia Marshall sponsored by The University of Melbourne  

Stripes by Keri Le Page sponsored by Tiger Airways  

A Pattern of Orange-bellied Parrots by Vanessa Bong sponsored by Queen Victoria Market 

Mali is Listening to the Earth by Victor Holder sponsored by Sanitarium Foods 

Mali Dreams by Chantelle Ferri sponsored by Irene Irving and Associates 

Botani by Michael Skilney sponsored by Botani Skincare 

Gabriel by Jacqueline Le Soeuf sponsored by Werribee Open Range Zoo 

Here Today by Elise Martinson sponsored by Deakin University 

Pond Dreaming by David Higgins sponsored by Melbourne Zoo 

Mali in the City 1

Night and Day by Graeme Base 

Mali turns the City Pink by Siemens

This is a non-card blog. I was obsessed with taking photos of these beautiful elephant sculptures. Be warned, this is very photo-heavy!

To celebrate 150 years, Zoos Victoria commissioned 50 fibreglass life size replicas of the Zoo's elephant Mali to be painted by various artists. These sculptures were placed at various locations in Melbourne CBD for a period of 5 weeks. There was even an App to help you locate all these elephants. When they were installed, I noticed them on the way to work and wondered what it was about. Then my sister posted some photos of some more that she came across near her work in the city. It has been fun for me locating all the elephants as they were all located at various tourist points in the city. Some of them were within walking distance from work so I was able to go out to find some of them during my lunch hour. I have finally completed photographing all 50 of them! They were so beautiful, they need to be shared. I have taken all of them with my iPhone4s and uploaded them to Instagram and linked them to my twitter accounts. Some of them have been taken with my Sony NEX3 and Nikon D70s cameras. As there were a lot of photos, they will be split over two postings - the second link is here. Be warned, there are a lot of photos here, I could not leave some of them out as they all deserve to be shown. Some may have two photos as the artists have painted them differently on both sides. I actually had to re-visit some of them to capture better photos. My first 26 Mali's were located in the city and in the beautiful gardens near the city. Some of my favourites in this lot includes Rusty in Chinatown, Protector of all Animals and Forest rides on elephant's back. Enjoy!

City in Mali by Ralf Kempken sponsored by Lite n' Easy 

Rusty Mali by Russ Brebner sponsored by Cookers 

Endangered Aisa by Kelly Just sponsored by City of Melbourne 

 Mali, Protector of all Animals by Deb Halpern sponsored 

by Lord Mayor's Charitable Foundation 

 Neo Composite by Jacqueline Gwynne sponsored by 
The Sofitel 

Helmeted Honeyeaters Habitat? by Andrea Carydias 
sponsored by Intercontinental Hotel Group 

Harmony by Zara McKenzie sponsored by 
Melbourne Marriott Hotel

Ranee by Gillian Forbes sponsored by Karcher

Ranee at Night

Baroque Baby by Robert Hague sponsored by ANZ 

Enceladus by David Ghostpatrol sponsored by 

Carter Digital

Mali's Winter Wonderland by Pat Minahan
sponsored by Buller Ski Lifts

Prayer for Protection by Blaze Warrender
sponsored by Patagonia 

Lotus by Kelly Spencer sponsored by 
Kingston Development

Jimbo by Janie Fearon sponsored by
Boston Consulting Group 

Bromley One by David Bromley sponsored
by LinFox

Same Same by Max Blackmore sponsored
by Places Victoria 

Woolly Mali by Mini Goss sponsored by
Channel Ten and The Project 

Shared Path by William Aigner sponsored by
Places Victoria 

In the Gardens 
These beauties were found in some of the gardens around the city, Treasury Gardens, Fitzroy Gardens and the Botanical Gardens.

Spot by Steve Monk sponsored by
Richmond Football Club 

Jingle by Jessica Rae sponsored by Streets

Eltham Cooper Butterfly Story by Karen Rawady
sponsored by Healesville Sanctuary 

Forest rides on the elephant's back by Pamela
Conder sponsored by Orange Power 

Elephas Maximus by Sharon Muir sponsored by
Gribbles Veterinary Pathology 

Mali's Crimson Song by Mia Rappel
sponsored by Zoos Victoria