Lavinia meets AJJ

 Two of my workshops where I produced a scene have now been added to my Lavinia Journal.  As you can see it is a ring binder, it's actually quite cute in that it folds and holds with a hidden magnet and inside the folded bit there is a paintbrush.  Quite handy if you take your watercolours away with you and produce direct into the journal.

This is Bayleaf Cottage which I stamped and painted with my Inktense Pencils.  As you can see I stuck it onto one of the pages of my Journal and then added some more of the flora spilling onto the actual journal page.  Now I am wondering whether or not I should have added some of the leaf creeper coming down from the top onto the Journal page as well.  This was a workshop with Jo Rice at our local stamp club.

The second one is from a workshop I did with Jo Rice and I so enjoyed looking at how to create perspective and how to paint that stone wall.  I just love that stone and so enjoyed the colouring of it that I incorporate a stone wall in my work whenever I can.  Needless to say I extended it onto the actual Journal page.

Love that bridge too and although you cannot see on here there are some sparkly bits in the water to give the appearance of it running.

I should have entered these into Valerie's challenge at Art Journal Journey earlier this month but time just ran away with me.  Better late than never so here I am on the very last day of March.  Hope you enjoy them.

Jeudi Journal - A Scene

 "It was a funny kind of day when Simone went into town to do a little shopping for her mother.  The sun had been out all morning and suddenly, when she ventured out, a cloud had come and obscured the sun.  Thankfully she had got a long sleeved light sweater on.  She decided to make the best of the situation and walk briskly to keep herself warm.

As she walked through the shopping precinct she noticed her friend Katy who happened to be with her younger brother, Kelvin.  Katy was a lovely young girl who always tried to help her mother out by taking one of the younger children off her hands so that her mum could get on with the things that needed doing at home.  Unfortunately, today she had drawn the short straw and Kelvin was, as usual, playing up.

He was definitely the naughtiest of the whole family.  His brother Nathan was a lovely child, as was his twin, Naomi.  Despite her young years and still being at school herself Katy did her best to help out in the home as mum struggled to bring the four children up on her own since her husband had died in an accident at work.  

Kelvin was howling his eyes out, stamping his feet on the ground - and making an absolute show of himself - and poor Katy too.  People were beginning to stare at the pair and Simone did not know what to do.  Should she ignore them or go over?  She was tempted to cause a scene.  But it wasn't fair on Katy if she did, but oh, that boy, he needed a good shake of the shoulders to stop him crying and screaming like that.

Simone was so glad she was an only child and did not have to put up with siblings who behaved in the street in that manner.  But then maybe it was easier to manage with one child than with four.  She'd ask her own mother when she got home if there was anything they could do to help the Leigh family.  She liked Katy and hated to see her humiliated like that in the street."

To begin with I put three colours of Oxides on the page, scraping them lightly whilst holding the pad at an angle of 45 degrees. I forgot which colours I had used so using an old stencil and Broken China Distress Ink I lightly daubed some colour through words and arrows randomly all over the page.  I then stuck my three figures on and did the quote at the top.

The snarky comment, or quote, is again from Tim Holtz' book and is "She was tempted to cause a scene".  I discovered I am fast running out of characters so had to do some stamping before I could begin today's page.  Guess that will mean a couple of evenings fussy cutting so I can be ready for another week. 

Have a lovely weekend everyone, and don't get caught out on Saturday which is the day the theme will change at Art Journal Journey.  I must try to get another one in for Valerie before the end of the month.

WOYWW 721

 It's late Tuesday night as I write this and "I am having a mare".  It has been one of those days when there is so much to do and time just flies by and you feel like you are walking in a bowl of treacle.  As how fast you think you are thinking, as how fast you think your fingers are flying on the old keyboard you don't seem to be getting very far.  And there are loads of little red dots under words that you have mis-typed.  How come an ex typing teacher gets lots of typos?  Yes, I taught typing at evening classes once of a day.  If my students saw the work I have produced they would not believe it and I would have my knuckles rapped, not that I did that to them, but it did happen to me in my younger days.

My desk is full of typing as I have been busy doing reports for the upcoming AGM at our club.  I've had to do a report for another of the officers as well as my own as I just heard she is not coming.  There are last minute alterations to the notes on my agenda and my head is a bit fried.  All in a day's work for a retiree.

So now it is out with the cardstock and inks in readiness to make a couple of birthday cards.  Still have not made one for the little one that I mentioned the other week, poor Theo keeps going on the back burner, only because I want to do something special that I haven't done before for him.  So no cards to show you and doubtful they will be done before morning.  But, not to worry, I have something lovely to show you.

I had a Twiddlemitt made by the lovely Jo for my friend who has gone into dementia care.  I could not believe it when this huge parcel dropped through my letterbox and I saw what was inside it.  Jo had incorporated so many of the things I told her my friend might remember and talk about.  I told you she was the person who first introduced me to papercrafting and we had met at cake icing so cakes became  a focal point and ... well ... here you are - as you can see in this first photo there are cakes, centrepiece is a lovely wedding cake and the ones to the left look so much like my raspberry buns and I am sure the one on the right is a Victoria Sponge.  Isn't that a pretty tablecloth they are sitting on?  And what about the bunting at the top just below the rainbow?

The next photo shows you the number 66 hidden beneath the bunting.  That is her favourite way of describing me as I used to live by the M66.  I specifically asked for that to go on - thanks Jo.

Now here is a bicycle from when she used to go around to school's doing the cycling proficiency scheme with the kiddies.  She loved that little job along with her being a member of the Scout movement and working with the Cubs.  Just below the bicycle you can see a stream with a little bridge over it.  When her husband reached a special 'zero' birthday he had a party and his big present was a little wooden bridge which ran over a stream they had made in their garden.  They were excellent gardeners, something she carried on as long as she was able to.  So that is for her to remember her husband with.

As you can see, at the back it is a profusion of flowers, grass she can run through her fingers and poppies she can furl and unfurl, tiny bushes to feel and some lovely twiddly bits at the bottom.  Of course the inside is worked on as well and there is a pom pom for her to play with, a huge button and a gorgeous soft chenille tail like piece for her to stroke.

I am so thrilled with this and cannot wait to go and see her and give it to her.  I have to wait until the family say it is ok to go and have been told that as soon as they go and find she is ok I will be one of the first to be notified.  Up to now she has had no outside visitors, not even family.  I just hope and pray she will still know me but if she doesn't it won't make any difference, I can still go as someone who cares about her and can chat to her about the various bits on her Twiddlemit.  All thanks to Jo who I know thanks to WOYWW.  What a wonderful thing Julia did all those years ago when she first set it up.  Cheers!

Jeudi Journal - Coffee!

 Tim's Snarky Comment for today is "Coffee keeps me going until it's acceptable to drink wine"and for this page I decided to try to recreate a wooden background - but it didn't work out so all kinds of Distress Inks, in various light brown shades, went on and in the end I used an Aall & Create Stencil with a darker brown to create my background.

I knew I wanted a 'reclining' figure so I chose one dressed for the cooler weather and coloured her in bright (Chameleon) colours.  Yes, I used something other than my Promarkers today and I love how easily they went on and to say I have had them since they first came out at CHA shows how good they are as they are so juicy.  Now to the story to explain the page for Valerie's theme at Art Journal Journey, "Anything Goes".

"It was another of those dark dismal days in early March when you just want to curl up with a good book and not venture out.  Diana and her younger sister, Dee, were staying in having decided that the weather was so foul that there really was little point to going into town, besides which, Diana had got the new book by Adam Croft and she really wanted to read it.  It promised to be an exceptionally good thriller and she had most of his books so expectations were high.

"Fancy making me a coffee?" asked Diana, as she settled comfortably on the floor of their bedroom.

"OK" said Dee, and she got up and went down the stairs and into the kitchen.  Diana turned the page of her new book on her Kindle and began reading.

"Mum says" shouted Dee from downstairs, "that you drink too much coffee and it's not good for you to drink it in such large amounts."

"Is she there?" asked Diana.

"Yes, I am" came the reply, from mum.  "Why you cannot drink tea or even better, water, I do not know.  It is bad for you to drink nothing but coffee and in the copious amounts you do."

Diana's feathers were ruffled, all she wanted was another cup of coffee and to be able to get her head in her book.  Was it to much to ask?

"Coffee keeps me going until it's acceptable to drink wine" was Diana's reply, knowing full well that this would irritate mum as it was not her eighteenth birthday until another month.

"Get down here, young lady" shouted mum, "I think we need words about your attitude".    And with that mum walked calmly into the kitchen to await her eldest daughter.  Even when she was eighteen there would still be rules in the house and going out drinking wine to excess was not to be tolerated whilst she lived under the same roof as the family."

It is the funeral of my BF today so I might not get around to commenting on your blog until late tonight or even tomorrow.  I m sure you will understand but I will catch up on commenting.,.

WOYWW 720

Hi and Welcome to my newest follower, Glennis F - sorry I cannot return the favour and follow you but I do not have your blogs name.  If you send it to me I will return the favour.

Well, it is another Wednesday and time for WOYWW again.  The days seem to fly by and I am longing for a lovely Spring morning when I wake up to lovely sunshine ..... or a bit will do.  It always makes me want to get up and get doing things, even cleaning up!  Must say the way it has been all I want to do is hunker down and sleep.  However I do have a card I made this week for a friend.  It had to be one of the lovely hares from Lavinia, Lupin, I am sure she will like the thought behind it.

I need to get another card done asap for my niece's lovely little one.  Not a clue what he is in to but I am sure I will not have the appropriate stamps so will do a generic one instead.  I bet I forget to upload it as it is a real failure of mine, made a 70th for a man the other week but forgot all about doing a scan.

Well, at last I took my birthday cards down and have managed to do a quick video of them.  So here you are, my handmade birthday cards for this year.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WoW_6gbemgc

Tomorrow it is the funeral of my friend who passed on my birthday.  There is something ironic about it all - the night before she passed we had been for a meal with friends up in the Valley and we are back there again tonight for another meal with the same friends but including the ones who did not make it because of the snow.  Tomorrow, after the funeral we have been invited to go back for something to eat with the family and guess where it is?  Yes, the same place yet again.  Not sure how I feel about going tonight and again not about after the service tomorrow although we will.  

Well, that is it for this week, hope that things brighten up for us all and we get to feel a bit of sunshine on our faces before too long.  Take care all you lovely ladies out there, must get thinking about the ATC's before too long.  It will be on us before we know it.

Jeudi Journal - Negativity

 'Oh My Goodness'   Am I glad to see you.  You remember Marie, we were at school together?  Surely you remember her, she was ever so tiny and so pretty.  Well, she came  yesterday as we hadn't seen one another in ever so long and it was lovely, apart from the fact that I was a bit down.  

You see, school had been a bit fraught over the past few weeks.  One or two of the staff had obviously got together as a little group and I really thought they had the knives out.  Not just with me but with some of the other young teachers.  There had been some cutting remarks made, knowing looks between them, and it was obvious that when some of us opened our mouths they did not agree with what we were saying.  You know, the odd look, nod of the head and all that.

It really got to me and I haven't been sleeping all that well.  I have tried to be nice to them, trying not to let it bother me and I kept myself to myself in the staff room most of the time.  Obviously I know who the ring leader is, and I think I know what her game is too.  There' s a promotion coming up and she knows I fit the bill for it but I can see she is trying her best to undermine me.  I am sure she is going to push someone else to apply for it too.

Well, when Marie came I was having a bad day as I said, and I just let slip how I was feeling and a bit about what was going on.  You will never believe it but she told me to "Surround myself with Taco's, not negativity".  

I have just had the most terrible dream.  I was in California staying with my friend Cindee and all of a sudden I was in this room full of Taco's.  Not simply taco's on a plate but they were "all dancing and singing Taco's".  Maracas and the lot!  The noise was horrendous.  It was awful, I was completely surrounded.  I had no idea what to do.  I couldn't even catch hold of one of them, they just danced about far too quickly for me.

What do you think it means?  They say all dreams have a meaning."

Today's page was smooched with three different shades of orange Oxides on an acrylic block and then I printed lots of little Mexican dancing Taco's, fussy cut them and added them as a border, drawing stick legs and arms and a few musical notes with Posca pens.  I chose a small figure from Dyan's range (Dylusions) and then decided to write my story to you.  This is now entered into Valerie's theme at Art Journal Journey - 'Anything Goes', ideal for me as I can link in with anything and my usual Thursday journaling does not need thinking about.  If you have a journal page you would like to share why not hop over to AJJ and link in.  Check the rules though, it is journaling but there are restrictions re size etc.

WOYWW 719

Well, at last I have the video done.  The calendar one - although my voice is very croaky, not a clue what has happened but I have got a real croak these days.  Do you think a frog has taken up residence?  Be warned it takes 9 minutes to watch, if you want to see it all grab a cuppa first.  I thought it was a bit much to upload it to here which is why I am just providing the link.  If you do call please leave me a 'thumbs up' and a comment if you have time.

Thanks to those of you who knew it was my birthday last Friday and sent good wishes to me. Sadly I did not have a lovely day.  It started off well with a 9 am Facetime with my little sister in Oz but part way through our conversation a flag dropped down and I caught a glimpse of the message and had to cut the call short.

One of my oldest (like known one another over 50 years), truest, most loyal friends had passed that morning.  Her eldest son who has always called me his second mum, had tried to ring me but I was engaged with my sister on the internet and so he sent me a message.  We had only spoken on the Tuesday and we were going to call to see her on Thursday on our way back from tea with some friends.  It was a dreadful night and as we got to hers it was quite honestly a blizzard.  I decided we had better go home not knowing what was in front of us and living on a hill.  Imagine how I feel now.  I am going to miss her ringing me each week and there is a big hole inside me right now.

My WOYWW desk is completely empty, not been in the mood for crafting at all so apologies for that.  Just enjoy the video which I did yesterday morning if it is not too long for you.  Sorry if I missed commenting on anyone last week, will do my best this time.  I'll just show you the front cover this morning as a still.  Take care everyone.

Video Link below 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ogp72EKp68w

Jeudi Journal - Yoga?

 Thursday brings us back to Art Journal Journey and Valeries lovely 'Anything Goes' theme for the challenge.  That gives Wendy and I free rein to do our normal Journal pages and still be able to link in.  Why don't you go and read the rules and see about entering your journal page?  Of course, I did the page fairly quickly but now have a story to weave around it.  Here goes:

"Esme and Lolly were friends from way back in High School and they both lived on the next avenue to one another so it was easy to team up and do things together - things like socialising, crafting together and ... exercising!

Lolly, whose real name was Lorraine, was a little chunkier than her friend Esme, and secretly a little jealous of her friend being so slim and having what everyone termed 'a good figure'.  Esme, on the other hand, was a true and loyal friend who always looked out for any of her friends and was there with a shoulder to cry on or a hand that was willing to help in most anything.

Both girls had signed up for yoga classes and had had great fun going out and looking around the local store for something suitable, but eye catching, to wear.  But, that was as far as Lolly had got.  Always the first one to sign up for things and the last to carry them out.

It was a Tuesday late afternoon when the two girls met up on the way home after work and as they made their way home the conversation turned to what they were doing that week.  Esme was bubbling over with all the exciting things she had planned, and inevitably it turned to yoga classes.

"I love my yoga" she said, "and it is doing wonders for my posture and my total well being.  I don't know why you have never come along with me.  It is such fun and the other girls who do it are a great bunch, and we go and have a glass of wine at the pub across the road afterwards.  Why don't you come tomorrow night?"

"Confession:  my yoga pants have never been to yoga" said Lolly, "and to be honest I cannot see them ever going.  Besides which I am signing up for the local slimming club, I need to lose some weight."

"But, yoga would compliment the slimming diet" said Esme.  "You need to do exercise along with the better eating habits and it is so gentle and calming, it really would work for you and compliment the diet.  We could skip the pub afterwards or you could always have a tonic water or something, slimline of course.  That way you would not be going against the diet."

"No, it's not for me." replied Lolly.

"So I can't persuade you at all"

"No"

And with that the two girls carried on walking home and the subject changed to what crafting they were going to be doing that night.  It was Esme's turn to play host so she hoped her craft room was tidy enough for the two of them.  Hers was so tiny compared with that of Lolly, but at the end of the day, did it really matter, it hadn't before so why should she worry about it tonight."

WOYWW 718

Happy Wednesday. 'cos it's WOYWW day and we all meet up again to have a nosey at one another's desks.  

I must first of all apologise as I have not had chance to do the video of my calendar.  It's finished actually but because I went to the Clockwork Carnival event at Lavinia's on Sunday I've not had time to do the video.  I spent so much money that it took me most of Monday to catalogue them.  Dare I show you my desk?

This was it on Sunday evening when I got home and just literally dumped my bags, tipping them out on my desk

and later - like Monday

Yes, it looks staged

and it is ... but it's not!  The stamps and things have all been sorted into categories and the only staged bit is my hat.  I had to show it to you.  We were invited to dress up in Steampunk or Fantasy Gear.  Well, I had this hat I made a few years ago for something else and the necklace and bracelet too.  I knew I had a jacket somewhere (bought years and years ago when "Military" was in fashion - so you can tell how long I have had it) and a blouse that I had worn previously.  Well, couldn't find the blouse but the jacket still just about fit, sadly my trousers would not do, so I dug out my long(ish) black skirt that I wear for funerals and I was ready.

This is me with Jo Rice

My friend, Jayne, wanted a photo of the two of us together.  My hat is too big and now my hair is short it was sitting on the tops of my ears.  Jo was sensible and she had put a wig on to keep it up a bit for her.  isn't her costume fantastic!

So that was it.  My desk remains like that as I was at the chiropractor yesterday and so it was an afternoon of rest so that I didn't undo all the work she had put into my neck and back.  So you see, I am not cheating showing you a desk from a couple of days ago.  I just need to get all the stamps put away now and get on with some stamping as we saw some fabulous demo's and lots of ideas of how to use the new Clockwork Collection.  No, I didn't buy them all, but now I just wish I had bought the goggles.  There's always one you don't get that you find you want.

See you all next week and hopefully will have the video done and uploaded.  Toodle Pip!

ps been a bit teary today as I found out my friend went into a dementia home at weekend so I won't be able to go for a few weeks as I don't want to unsettle her.  I worry that with the break away she might not know me next time.  I do miss her.  What a horrible disease it is.

Jeudi Journal - Rain!

Stupidly I drew my curtains last week with a red Promarker - err, they bled through the other side.  So I had to resolve the issue with a coat of paint and decided to use a light turquoise as my background.  

As I wanted to join in with Valerie's theme at Art Journal Journey  I had a free reign on what to do.  (thank you so much Valerie, I had forgotten today, Wednesday, is the 1st March - DOH I still thought I had to dress my main character in as much red as possible.  Three coats of ink on her legs before I achieved a decent red.  (Think some of my pens are getting low on ink and need replacing). 

"Sammi called to see her friend Jonty with a view to them going out.  There were some fluffy clouds in the sky but otherwise it looked fine and there was a new Town Trail she had read about which was only a short 30 minute bus ride away.  It was an ideal day to do it, or so she thought.  Sammi loved history and architecture so she was all fired up for a lovely afternoon with her best buddy.

Imagine her dismay when she went in the lounge to see Jonty reclining on the floor doing her exercises.  It was obvious Jonty was settled for the day.

"I saw this Town Trail and thought we could do it today" said Sammi, "it would be good exercise and we could get some fresh air which would be a change, we have stayed in too long over the last few months."

Jonty looked disinterested and said "Forecast for today: unproductive with a chance of rain"

"Oh come on" replied Sammi, "I don't want to stay in all afternoon again.  Besides which it would be good exercise for your regime.  It won't take us more than half an hour to pack some lunch, get changed and be on the way to the bus."

"Don't feel like it" said Jonty.  "I want to stay in and do some painting, or I could get on with my knitting.  I'm knitting a tiny little jacket for my sister's new baby for when it comes."

"You can do that tonight, and the walk will do you good, plus you don't know what or who we will see on the way.  I'll treat you to a drink and a piece of cake if you want" pleaded Sammi.  "Besides which, those clouds are lovely and fluffy and there is no chance of rain."

Just then in walked Jonty's mum.  "Come on girls" she said, "I want you out of the way this afternoon, I have to give the house a good clean before Aunt Jemima comes - unless you want to stay and give me a hand?"

That worked perfectly in Sammi's favour, Jonty was up like a shot.

"See you in 20 minutes" she shouted to Sammi, "I am holding you to the drink and cake mind you."

You really should pop along to see the new theme at Art Journal Journey, Valerie (click on her name to see her blog) does the most amazing faces and I can imagine we are in for a treat this month with her artwork and that of others.  'Anything Goes' is a great theme to work with and there are endless things you can do.  No excuse not to join in now.  See you there.

ps my clouds are bits of kitchen roll torn to represent fluffy clouds.

WOYWW 717

 Morning, it's another Wednesday and time for WOYWW once more.  And I have just remembered I need to get my finger out and start making some ATC's for our annual swap.  Happy St David's Day to you all, especially our Welsh friends.

Nothing special has happened this week.  Not been anywhere or done anything of note, been busy trying to make those little pictures for my calendar- just the cover and two more months and then it's finished.  Funnily enough, Tuesday morning the two months outstanding were the two that have gone, but I've almost done February now so that means I have still got January to think about.  Just need some little hearts on and that month is complete.

Here is my desk this morning

The calendar shows the unfinished February page and all the messing on my desk is to do with my decorating it - stamps, inks, post it notes, stencil etc.  One month I got stuck with was April, I thought of showers, spring flowers and in the end I thought of Spring Cleaning.  Here the fairies have hung their washing out to dry and look who has come to see it all blowing in the breeze.

Now to plan January and the cover

I think I have seen a picture that I fancy for the cover but I am going down to Ruthin to the shop at weekend with some friends so it might change, depending on what I buy.  I need to put my own twist on it anyway and then when it is all finished I might do a video of the whole thing.  Pity I didn't do one of my other calendar before I let it go to a new home.

Might have to postpone that thought and get on with the ATC's though.  Need to check how many I normally do and when they are due to go out.

Not been to see my friend today, kept ringing but there was no reply so I don't know what is happening there, hopefully I will soon.  Rightio, that is it for this week, fairly short for me so Toodle Pip!  Hope all is well with you.