WOYWW 391

Here we are again.  Another Wednesday, another WOYWW!  I expect it will be good fun today as we can all see photos of the crop on the various blogs of members who went along.  I was all set for going this time but then other things got in the way and once more I did not attend.

On my desk is my artwork done with Mark Gould the other week (top left) and in the foreground is my Magic Tag which is what I made on Saturday with Miranda Van Den Bosch.  When you pull it at the bottom (see the little black bit) the tag magically goes from a black and white image to a coloured one with a coloured background.

I went along on this workshop at the last minute as I had had a good two days with my ActiPatch but sadly it did not last.  After about three hours I was in agony and about one and a half hours from home. The journey was agony and my friend did her best talking to me all the time trying to take my mind off the pain.  I had taken some Morphine but that was all I had and I had to ring Chas to meet us at a service station with some relief in the form of tablets and a hot water bottle.  Needless to say I spent the night in bed flat on my back

Luckily my son had bought me some glasses so that when I lie on my back I can still see the TV which is at the bottom of the bed on a chest of drawers and I was able to watch Strictly and see Ed Balls leave the series as I was so much better with my hot wheat bottle and my tablets taken.  It was so sweet of him and it cost him as much in postage and VAT as it did for the glasses because he wanted me to have them asap.

Then yesterday I got a message to say that I had won an audio book by Adam Croft who is one of my favourite authors.  That means that when my back goes again I have the choice, tv or audio, or a mixture of both.

Right, off to see Julia now and the rest of the WOYWW'ers.  Are you coming?

Jeudi Journal - Include an Envelope

Wendy made this choice and I had an idea in my head but executing it was another story.  I was going to use a Dylusions figure and make it as if it was Sherlock Holmes looking for a clue and spying an envelope.  Why am I telling you this?  I didn't do it, couldn't do it so had to get my thinking cap back on.

Now I have a page in my journal that stands out as being something nowhere near like the rest of my journal.  I would have preferred it to follow on with either my magazine figures or my Dylusion ones.

The idea of this page is that there is an envelope (why did I not do it on the back?  You cannot tell it is an envelope) and cards are jumping out of the envelope.

I love my Alice collection of stamps and having used them last week for Lorraine's birthday card they sprang to mind for this challenge page.  Nice and relaxing for me to sit up in bed and colour the images in whilst resting my back.  It was all systems go.

That is until my computer gave up the ghost.  Chas has now managed to fix it and so here I am, yet another week where I am a day late, although last week was more than ONE day!  Promise, next week will be bang on time.

As this was Wendy's choice I am looking forward to seeing what she has come up with.  I know it will be something special so off to her blog now.  Cheerio!

WOYWW 390

Last week I was busy making a card for my friend's 60th birthday and I had a wonderful idea in my head to make a window in the front of it and string a load of cards (ATC Size) behind, like bunting. It was then going to open and the bunting was all going to pull out and be a continuous string of Alice images stretching from front to back.  Well, it wouldn't work because the main card would have had to be huge and have a big big spine to it.  I have thought since that I could have done it and used my Alice images in shrink plastic. Ah well, too late now.  Instead I just made an A5 card (A4 in half), fussy cut the figures out and put them on the front - some were done twice and decoupaged over the top of an original image.

Sorry it did not end up being special or with me using one of your ideas.  My friend liked it though but I bet it was not what she expected until she opened her gift which was from Whittards - Alice milk jug and sugar bowl (to go with her teapot that she already had), some White Rabbit biscuits and a selection of teas in three tins decorated with Tenniel images. I do like the original images I must say.  She also got a birthday cake and a book of jokes for 60 year olds, you know the kind you find in garden centres.  Wanted one which was called "Sterilise the Dentures. I'm 60" that I saw at my dentists but I cannot find it anywhere.

Anyway, here's my desk, I will be in trouble with Julia if I am not careful going on and on like above.

I have tidied it up as it was an absolute mess with stuff thrown all over it.  Now there is just a picture I did with Brenda Brown which I love but need to finish off.  Back is bad again today, after a week of no pain it came as a shock, so I have not got around to gluing down and painting the final bit.  Just a couple of things to put away too and then I was hoping to get on with some Christmas cards.

Hope everyone going to the crop has a wonderful time, that the weather is kind to you for those that have to travel by road and I look forward to seeing all the photos next week.

Toodle Pip again!

For those who don't know the WOYWW blog hop is organised by Julia here so pop along and join in.

Jeudi Journal - include a Butterfly

Well, thought I had posted this one but I had a bad day Thursday and Friday with an upset stomach - so much so I had to cancel a scheduled echocardiogram - and I got part way to the hospital and had to turn back.

Anyway, here is my butterfly page.  I had seen something similar - but so much better than what I have produced - on the internet and cannot now remember whose page it was.  So a big Thank You to whoever for the idea and the inspiration.

Now to see what Wendy did for her butterfly page.

WOYWW 389

Morning Ms Julia and Linkers!  At long last my desk is showing signs of some work - a bit of a muddle too but work is there.

This is going to be short and sweet because I have a visitor from America and we have talked all night and now I am shattered so this is a quick post from me.

My desk

Remember the present last week - well it is now wrapped up and ready to go to my friend but her card is still in my head - well the workings of it.

My friend is 'Alice' mad so her card is going to be based on 'Alice in Wonderland' - here are some cards I have made for it - but what am I going to do with them?  Seriously I do not know if the idea in my head is do-able!

My friend from America (not the birthday girl) is someone I met through Mary, the lady I stay with when I go over there.  Well, Maria brought me a present from Mary - do you want to see what a lucky person I am?  No?  Well,  I am showing you regardless.

Zig clean color real brush pens - a set of 48.  These seem great, love the brush end and there is also a sparkly brush and a brush to use as a blender brush/pen which I can fill with the Dove Blender Solution you see in the front. I have just popped the two black pens in the box with the Zig ones to keep it upright as Maria showed me how to prime it.

Watch this space for me using them and showing you my results - meanwhile go to see what Jennifer McGuire does with them on You Tube.

Toodle pip - see you over at Julia's or at one of the linkers.

Jeudi Journal - One or Two Words

It was a good thing when I sent an email to Wendy to say that as I had chosen this theme (One or Two Words) I thought I had better clarify that I meant just that - one word or two!  Wendy was going to cover the page with words so it was a relief to find that she had not started.

Here is my interpretation with just the one word "Numbercruncher"

A couple of Dyan's Dylusion Stamps and the figure was ready, coloured in with Promarkers and a touch of Wink of Stella on the glasses and the top of the head.  The lettering was done with a Black Sharpie and a Promarker to fill in the solid parts of the letters.  All this was put on a background that was already done with Dylusion paints and I was finished.

Now to see what Wendy has done for this challenge.

WOYWW 388

Here we are again.  Halloween is over, Bonfire night is over and we are back on a Wednesday showing off our workdesks to Ms Julia and setting off for a nose around the world at fellow crafters, most of them who have become firm friends over the years.

I forgot to show you my Halloween card which I sent to a friend for her birthday

I found myself still working on Halloween in a way last night as I decided that two 'chemists' on display for Halloween was a bit silly (one in a box and the other in a card) so I set to changing one of them to "Cap'n Jack" and this is my desk this early morning.  I might get around to colouring him in and fixing him to the card later.  

Starting left is my tin of Tim Holtz rubber stamps, then a box which is my gift to my friend Lorraine who will be celebrating her 60th birthday soon.  The Paris decorated chest contains all my Dylusion stamps and then there is my journal (not open at the page for tomorrow's challenge), the card I am changing with the image in front of it and lastly my MISTI.

here is a close up

Gosh, that is short and sweet, just the way Julia likes it and a complete change for me.  Toodle Pip - see you over at Julia's or at one of the desk linkers later.

Jeudi Journal - Lace, Stamped or Paper

Wendy's choice of theme for this one.  I didn't think I was going to be joining in but then I felt I was having a good morning so set to and began producing.  Result?  A bad back - and I have just had four days of relief.  Not to worry, it had to come and it was twinging a bit last night if I am honest.

Anyway, not to moan on here, I really had no idea what to do for this one, knew I had a lace stamp or two somewhere, probably in 'backgrounds' but couldn't spend the energy required to start rummaging. I did know where I had some paper lace so I found that little tub, really wanted some black paper lace but it wasn't there so I decided to make do and here is what I came up with.

I really enjoyed colouring the figures in, the page was already done so it was just a case of thinking what to do that was left.  Not sure what I think of this page but then my back is hurting so I guess the best thing is to wrap this up and get on with being a bit more comfortable with this hot water bottle.

Off to see what Wendy has done this week, she loves sewing so I can imagine her page is fabulous.

WOYWW 387

Morning!  Another week with Ms Julia and the WOYWW'ers who visit her each week.  Hope to see you over on her blog shortly.

There is nothing on my desk but this is to the right of my desk and might prove a bit interesting.  At the top are a couple of pictures made on workshops, then a Finnabair one which has the Australian Flag hanging from it which was a gift from Shaz when she was over in Manchester.  Below that is a horse picture I did myself similar to the kind of work Finn does.  You will see the clock registers 4.20 and below that there is a picture of Henry Cavill, a bit of fun with a friend of mine.

The orange box top right is a box I decorated with things that remind me of my mum. and to the right of that there is a pencil pot that I made once with Liz Welch on one of our weeks away.  On the cubby holes are my Dylusion Sprays, silk flowers and all manner of jars of stuff that I cannot remember what they are for (sounds familiar?) You can also see several Stampin' Up casssettes that my friend Mary has given me over the years.  At the bottom are some books I have bought over the years - only a few of many.

Well, since last week we have celebrated Halloween, not quite on the same scale as in America if you live in the UK but it is certainly catching on.  Did any of you see "Strictly" when they had their Halloween Theme this last weekend.  Really enjoyed it and I loved the make up on some of the faces especially the Professional Dancer who partners Judge Rinder - her butterfly hair and face makeup was spectacular!  As Brucie would have said "She was my favourite".

I feel as if I haven't been out in ages so on Monday we went for a drive in the country, I just wanted to see the beautiful Autumnal colours before it was too late and all the leaves dropped.  One of the obvious places was to go to The Ribble Valley and so we set off and it was lovely driving along with the sun shining and all the glorious colours on the trees.  We drove up through Sabden, around the back of Pendle Hill and on to Barley and Roughlee.  Imagine my surprise as we drove down this long country lane and saw a witch, yes I said witch, bowling along merrily with two black balloons tied to her waist.  We actually saw more of them as we carried on, afterall it was Halloween and we were in Pendle.

Here are some of the scare-bobs we saw

I was especially delighted to see, for my first time, the statue of Alice Nutter especially as she had been unveiled by non other than Bob Elliott of The Hollies four years ago - and I had no idea!  I knew him in my teenage days when he played in a local Jazz Club.

Hope you saw some witches or had a trick or treat or two!