Jeudi Journal - Problem

 "It was a lovely summer day and Samantha was out in the garden.  Samantha had been going to Slimming World and had shed quite a few pounds as a result so she was feeling quite good about herself,  In fact she had had a few admiring glances from the local builders who were working quite close to the nursery where she worked.  I wouldn't say things had gone to her head but she had decided to buy herself a new swimsuit and a pair of shoes which almost were a perfect match.

She decided that sunbathing was the only activity for the afternoon but as she had finished reading her book she could only think of one thing - inviting her best friend Maxine around for the afternoon.  They could have a good chat and listen to some of the music that they both liked, her parents were out shopping, and they could have the music as loud as they wanted.  She could get all the 'goss' and a nice tan ready for the disco that evening.

Maxine said she would be around but it might be an hour or so before she got there as her mother wanted a couple of small jobs doing, so Samantha took herself upstairs and started experimenting with some new make up she had bought for that evening.  She could get Maxine's thoughts on whether it was suitable or not.  She rather liked the sequins that went underneath the eyes and the pendant looked particularly good when worn on her head.

Maxine arrived and took one look at Samantha. "What on earth are you wearing?" she asked.  "I thought you were, err, we were, spending the afternoon in the garden, listening to some music and having a chat about tonight".

"I just thought," began Samantha, "that I could wear these sequins and the pendant - like this tonight."  "I thought you would love them and maybe want some of the sequins for yourself."  "Whatever we do we must outshine Jo and her friends and they won't have got anything like this to wear."

She then went on and on about how she had always wanted to outdo Jo and her friend, Fran, and this was the perfect opportunity.  They had not seen one another for the whole of the summer recess and therefore the other girls did not know about the weight she had lost and she was feeling really good at the moment so with a tan and this new makeup she would easily outdo the others. Particularly where the boys were concerned.

Maxine sat and listened totally lost for words herself.  What on earth was the matter with Samantha - it was all this weight loss that had turned her head.

"I don't know what your problem is but I know it's not mine" she said, "I think it is time for me to go home if you are just going to go on and on like that.  To be honest if it is going to be a popularity contest tonight you can forget me joining you.  I cannot do with catty people and since that weight loss you have changed so."

And with that Maxine left and went home whilst Samantha sat there with a dumbstruck look on her face -  and a sequin coming off and slipping down to her chin."

I am entering this journal page into Alison's challenge over at Art Journal Journey.  It's almost the end of the month which means Alison's challenge is nearing its end but hopefully this scene will fall under the umbrella of Summer countryside for Alison

Background is Pan Pastels with a Janet Klein stencil used with PP's to give the appearance of flowers in the garden and a Dylusion stencil up the side.  Figures coloured with Promarkers.

WOYWW 634

Still busy with my journaling and nothing to show you - not even an atc today.  I have two birthday cards to make so I had better get on with them - just not enough time to make them and show them to you.  It's that I have this deadline for the journaling and I must get on with it.  But woyww has to take place, I can't afford to miss joining in with my friends.

Yesterday I had a friend call to see me/us and we spent the whole afternoon catching up.  She brought me some lovely flowers and lots of crafty goodness.  It was lovely to see her and she was the first visitor we had had at home in simply ages (when did this pandemic start?).

Anyway, you came here to see my desk and not hear me yapping on.  Here is the desk as it got left last night

There's an A4 box with stamps in, them my journal with the page coloured blue - the yellow cloth is what my bff brought me when she came to see me last week - a miracle cleaner for stamps - and it washes clean apparently.  Another journal, my new Texture Fades folder some flowers for a friend and some magazines.

Well, will have to leave it there as I have to go now on my way to the chiropractor and I need to get my hair into some semblance of a style.  Real short and sweet for me this week (woyww not my hair).

Btw: my cousin Ken passed last week.  The stent basically perforated his esophagus just above his tummy causing him excessive pain in his tummy.  He was just one month to the day past his ninety first birthday.  I will miss him, my last touch with the oldies, and my chats with him.

Jeudi Journal - Dylusional Heart

This week the quote chosen is "You think it's all about you - bless your Dylusional heart" - a bit of a play on words using 'Dylusional' rather than 'delusional'.

A Distress Ink background in various shades of green, a circle stencil and another for the sun, some stamped flowers from Janet Klein stamps and, of course, the Dylusion figures.

"Janet had been going out with her boyfriend, John, for a full year.  She was so much in love with him, or was she, thought her best friend Jemma.  Jemma suspected that Janet was in love with being in love and having a steady boyfriend whilst the rest of the 'pack' just had the occasional date and that was it.  She suspected Janet felt a bit more grown up than the rest of them by having the steady boyfriend.

It all came to a head in the summer holidays.  The gang, or 'pack' as they were known amongst the other girls at school, were having a picnic in the sunshine in the fields behind the school .  They had each taken some food along and  a bottle of lemonade and were playing some games whilst sitting on the grass.  "Truth, dare or promise" was a favourite with them and it was such fun thinking up dares for one another to do.  Simone had just had to promise to kiss one of the boys who hung around by the park when Petra asked Janet how things were going with her and John.

"Fine, absolutely fine", said Janet.  "I think we might be getting engaged this Christmas."

"What!" exclaimed Petra, you are only 16, why on earth would you want to get engaged to John, the world is your oyster and there's a lot of good things awaiting you out there.  Why you might get the exams you want, go on to do more and then go to university.  You can hardly do that if you are married - and possibly have a family."

"But that is what I want" replied Janet.  "Just think, you could come around for tea some times with Janet, and if and when we did have a baby you could take her out for walks and babysit for us so we could have a night out each week."

"No way" said Petra.  "I will be off to university at the first chance I get and living the life of a student away from home."  Jemma and several others nodded their heads at this.

"But, just imagine how wonderful it will be to be married, have my own house.  No mum and dad to tell me what to do, we will both be earning a good wage and I can have the clothes I want, the make up, have my hair done as I want.  Oh life will be wonderful, and I will get to share it all with John."

"You are so wrong" said Jemma, "life just doesn't work out like that.  What sort of job are you going to get, and John, what can he offer?  You think it's all about you - bless your Dylusional heart!"

And with that the whole group sat silent waiting to see what Janet had to say to that."

I am entering this into Alison's challenge over on Art Journal Journey where she chose Summer Countryside as the theme.  See you over there.

WOYWW 633

Phew!  It's been a hot one again.  When I grumble about the heat I just remind myself/excuse myself and say "we are not used to it".  I've not been outside for two days, it's too hot for me to sit in it so I have been getting on with some crafting - but sorry, cannot show you what I have been up to.  I still have lots to do, but I also have a few cards to make, so they will have to come first.  Much easier than the other things I am doing which require a bit more thought - and I am struggling now.

Tuesday I took a couple of photographs of my usually quite tidy desk - absolute chaos at the moment.  And my thumb is hurting me so much - I think it is a bit of arthritis or just plain old age.  I have got a thumb thingie to put on but up to now it is not doing a lot.  It's so hot wearing it as well.  Talking of wearing, yesterday I wore a nightdress all day long.  It was the best thing ever.  So if any of you are struggling and have a cotton nightdress I can recommend them for this hot weather.  Tonight I am going to fill a hot water bottle with lukewarm water and take it to bed - a tip from the TV.  I'll let you know how it goes.

On Monday I told a friend that I often run my wrists under cold water, it really cools you down, so if you don't know of that tip give it a try - I have done it for years.  Anyway, you came here to see my desk so:

Two photos today - the top one shows my little dictionary as I needed to look up a word, my journal is behind it (I have three journals on the go at the moment - all different sizes), a wallhanging I once made that is too heavy to put up, my clock that has never been started despite wanting one years ago, stick on letters (never the ones I need) and a pile of background stamps plus a Non Sequitur stamps set (red rubber).

The next photo shows some bits of paper I might use, then my Aall & Create stencils, my large journal and some Distress Inks (brown shades).  Behind is my ATC holder that I made with A&C washi tape.  I think there are some ATC's inside that you haven't seen before - made last week when I was away.  Hang on whilst I go and look.

Ah well, looks as if they need something else on them.  But I did show you something this week.  Why am I doing this`?  I am joining in once more with Julia and her WOYWW group.  Pop along here and find out all about it.  See you next week all being well.

Jeudi Journal - Patience?

This is a new Journal that I have just started and I covered the whole page with Fossilised Amber Distress Oxide and then used Twisted Citron over the top through my new stencil from AAll & Create.  It was a free gift that came with a stamp I had bought from the new release by Tracy Evans.  Saying that the stencil is by Olga and is called Enchanted Garden.  I don't often use stencils like this, preferring simple geometric shapes like circles, triangles, triangles, squares etc but I am sold on this one so can see more purchases coming on before long.  Thanks Abs and the team for my lovely freebie.

"I had my patience tested - turns out I'm negative" is the quote we are using today.  Something we all go through from time to time.  My story today features Saffron and her little sister Jennifer ...

"Saffron was feeling particularly good about herself and the day.  The sun was shining, the birds were singing, butterflies flitted about in abundance and all was well in her world.  In fact she felt so good that she offered to take her little sister, Jennifer, Jenni for short, out for the morning so that mum could get some jobs done around the home.  There was always so much washing to be done in their household that she thought it would be good for mum to be able to get it done in relative peace and quiet and get it out on the line to dry.  Nothing smelled nicer than sheets that had been hung out to dry.

Mum was thrilled and so the two girls set off to one of the local National Trust properties that had lovely gardens.  It meant Jenni could run about and, hopefully, tire herself out a bit so she would sleep that night.  Before they left mum had given Jenni strict instructions on how she had to behave for her big sister, Saffron, as well as reiterating the rules of the countryside.  

Well, as you can guess, things went wrong and it was not long before Jenni was running about and picking flowers.  She came running back with a small bunch, thrilled to bits and wanting Saffron to carry them home for mummy'.  Oh dear, you are not supposed to touch the flowers!  Saffron had to put her 'big sister' hat on and admonish Jenni for picking flowers.

"Mum told you not to pick flowers, she explained to you how they are there for everyone to enjoy" she said.  "I told you again when we got here. That's it!  We could both get into trouble if the gardeners saw you and what you have done.  We are going home now and I won't be bringing you anywhere like this again for a long time.  Not until you know right from wrong."

And with that the two girls set off back home where Saffron told her mum "I had my patience tested - turns out I'm negative."

Because I have got such a sunny background and there are flowers and butterflies on the page I am entering this into Alison's challenge over on Art Journal Journey where the theme is 'Summer Countryside'.  See you over there!

WOYWW 632

Another desk again - yes, I have been away once more.  Nothing to show you that I have done as I forgot to scan the birthday card I made for a friend the other day but my desk is looking rather tidy, if full of things.  It's the table really - all laid out ready for me to start colouring a page for Thursday's Journal page which I do with a friend.  I am going to use my Distress Oxides to create the background for the challenge because they are quick and easy to use.  I will have to go and get my stencils - I might use the new one that Abs kindly gifted me in my last order.  It will fit in with the challenge on AJJ so I think that might be the one to choose.  Next to the new Journal is a box with some Oxides in that I took with me and behind them are a lot of my Dylusions figures - all cut out and some of them coloured.  

Next to them is another A4 box which is full of Janet Klein figures, again cut out and many coloured in, then it's my bag of tricks which contains all sorts of tools that I might use when crafting.  Just out of sight are my new Black and White Acrylic Paints which I bought yesterday, I think you can just see a bit of the black tube.  You will notice I have my kitchen clock tablecloth on - it's a piece I had left over from something many moons ago and it comes in useful to save this table from getting marked.

We had a visitor the other day

I don't know what he found to eat but he was munching at something.  We had just turned some soil over, which I thought would attract the birds not the rabbits.  Last night I put some left over bits of lettuce out for him but I have not seen him again.

Well, I had better go and get crafting as I need to get this page finished for Thursday morning by 9.30 and if I stay on here chatting I won't get much done.  The forecast is for another lovely day tomorrow so fingers crossed, I fancy a trip out somewhere as I want to get my cousin a postcard.  He is having a stent put in his neck on Thursday so I thought I needed to let him know I am thinking of him.  He and his late wife used to go to a certain place on a regular basis so it has a special spot in his heart and I thought it would be nice to remind him of it.  He is such a lovely man, so kind and thoughtful and never a grumble.  

Right, better go and link in with WOYWW so that tomorrow evening I can have a nosey around some crafty desks.  All good fun.  Hope to see you there.

Jeudi Journal - Opinion

Here we are, another Dylusion Journal page again, a bit of brayering for the background.   Brayering the background is an easy way of using left over paint from another project just get it up from the mat and roll away.  Not a skill of mine I am afraid but this one turned out better than most and remained rather subtle.  If you look very closely you can see there are some white Gesso circles over the top of the brayering.  I drew two wobbly lines around the edges of the page and stamped some flowers (and a little ladybird) on the base along with a couple of bits of washi tape.

This week the quote from the Dylusions one is "of course your opinion matters, just not to me" and my story goes:

"Marie and Maryanne were two sisters who normally got along fine.  This particular day they had gone out for a walk in the countryside, it was a lovely Sunday and on the way back from church they decided to go by the river and through the meadows on their way home.  Maryanne had worn her new hat which was very stylish and gave her the height she needed to keep up with big sister Marie who always wore high heeled shoes and had her hair spiked,  adding inches to her height.  She hated being the smaller of the two.

They found themselves chatting about some of the ladies in the congregation and what they were wearing.  Not many got dressed up for church these days but the girls had been brought up to make an effort when attending.  Not that their mother would have altogether approved of either outfit - trousers on the one daughter and spikey hair on the other.  "Oh dear," she would have thought, "what is the world coming to?"  It was as well that the girls had left home and lived together in a flat in town.

Some of the girls came under scrutiny but Mrs Bouquet came under fire immediately with the two girls because of the airs and graces she always put on and the silly hats she wore, which prompted Maryanne to tell Marie that she thought she should make a bit more effort on a Sunday for church and possibly wear a hat instead of spiking her hair all the time.  Not a good move Maryanne.  Marie loved her hair like that and she paid quite handsomely to have it cut and coloured so that she could have it in this style.  "And what about that monstrosity you have on" said Marie,  "Your hat looks like one of Mrs Bouquet's cast offs".

Maryanne was very happy with her new hat, it was in shades of pink which she felt was a colour that set her complexion off, the lady in the shop had complimented her when she bought it for her friend's wedding last month and she had said how not many could carry off a piece like that but that Maryanne could.  "To be honest with you" said Marie, "it looks a bit too small for you, sitting perched like that on the centre of your head".  "I wanted to tell you when you first brought it home for Sylvie's wedding". "Well, why didn't you?" asked Maryanne.  "You mean to tell me you let me think I looked nice at the wedding and all the time you were laughing behind my back".   "No", said Marie, "I didn't want to upset you, you were so excited about the hat and it was the perfect colour with the dress you were wearing."  "I just thought today it looked a bit small, maybe it's your hair."

"Oh well," said Maryanne, "I am not bothered what you think about my hat, I am not that keen on your spikey hair to be honest."  "So does my opinion not matter any more?" asked Marie, to which Maryanne replied "Of course it matters, just not to me."  And with that the two girls walked along the river in total silence as they made their way back home."

I know it is a bit of a long shot but I am entering this page into Art Journal Journey where the lovely Alison has set the theme at 'Summer Countryside'.  I hope the pink, blue and yellow of the background makes you think of sumertime and the flowers and little insect adds to the overall effect.

WOYWW 631

Another week, another Wednesday, another WOYWW - where is time going?  We will be seeing "C" stuff in the shops before long.  And what about the Boris announcement?  Mixed feelings up and down the country I am sure but I must say I am not happy about all of the decisions he has made.  Well, this is not a political platform so I will get on with showing you my desk - that is not a desk.

Not been at home again, but going home later today, so my desk has been a bed really, or the bare bones of one -  slats - without the mattress.

Last week you saw the big box on my desk that I was just popping stuff in that I wanted to take away with me, well, that is it at the far left.  it normally has my Promarkers in and there is an A4 folder full of stencils, another full of Janet Klein figures and one or two other bits but you can't see anything for the carr-all that I use on the table in the kitchen when away.

Then there is a nappy box (yes, I still have those, bought for crafting not for nappy stuff) which is full of all kinds of crafting things - scissors, duster, brushes, glue, tape, etc.   You can see my little Cuttlebug in front, it never gets used at home so I brought it here.  

The next nappy box has all my ink pads in it plus some Brushos/Ken Oliver ones.  It's basically all things that create colour.

In front are my Twinkling H2O's and my watercolour pencils on top.  As well as that there is a cardboard box on the other bed with a lot of cardstock and cutting boards, etc in - just general stuff.  In the kitchen are some stamps, my Promarkers, a couple of dies and my Journals.

Nothing I have done to show you because I haven't done much.  It's been a bit of a non-productive time but I did manage to buy some new stamps yesterday on the internet.  This is a card I made and brought up with me for a friend's birthday.  I don't think she comes on here so it's ok to show you and then I will take my leave and get started on a card for a club member's 80th birthday.

See you next week.

Jeudi Journal - Bossy

 For today's page we have the quote "I am not bossy, I just know what you should not be doing"  and today we are visiting the household once more where Mrs Cat is annoyed somewhat with her husband Mr Dog.  The one saving grace is that the children are all away at summer camp so have no idea that everywhere is filled with Mum shouting at Dad.

It was a silly argument that the two of them had this morning.  Dad had been up for promotion at work and he had been granted an interview.  Luckily with the children being away at summer camp the two of them had spent the past two evenings going through his interview techniques.  Mum had been a great help, having worked as secretary to the recruitment officer at work.  She had typed enough letters and helped screen applications to have some sense of what was required and what not.  They had the interview questions and answers down to a tee, or so they thought.

Come the morning of the interview Mum was outside doing her usual weeding in the garden when out walked Dad.  "What on earth are you wearing?" she asked, as she looked at him.  "Thought I had better get dressed up and make a good impression" was the reply.  Mum started laughing, and that was like a red rag to a bull, Dad dug his heels in demanding to know what was wrong with his outfit.

"Well, for a start off you don't turn up in a bow tie, and that waistcoat is totally unnecessary, and what is that orange spotty thing you have on top?"    "You've got spots, stripes and checks all in the one outfit and that is a complete 'no no' for an interview.  You look like you are going down to the local club for a game of snooker".

Dad looked chastened." And that is where we are going to leave it.  Did Dad go indoors and get changed, and did he get the promotion?  

I wonder.

Erika suggested I could still link this to AJJ where the theme is 'Summer Countryside' as chosen by the lovely  Alison of Words and Pictures.  So on her suggestion, because mum is dressed nice and summery and there are leaves growing up the side, the two of them must be "having words" in the garden.

So I am linking this up to Art Journal Journey once more.  Thanks Erika.