Jeudi Journal - Mind (Hope you don't mind it's a day early)

Today we are on the last of the "Nature" pages for Jo's theme at Art Journal Journey as we are at the end of the month.  Where on earth did November go?  It doesn't seem two minutes since I was thinking of Bonfires, Fireworks and all the leaves in the garden that needed raking up and now the month has gone. 

Today the Snarky Comment is "Not only does my mind wander ... sometimes it walks off completely" and here we have Momma and Pop Cat out walking in the grounds of a well known house on an afternoon out.  It's a lovely sunny day and Tommy and Sheba, the two little ones, are having a lovely time with Momma Cat, who used to teach biology at school, telling them about all the different trees and plants as they wander about.

"Hold on to Sheba's tail please Tommy" Momma Cat said for the umpteenth time that afternoon.  "You know what she is like for wandering off, just like her father.  By the way, where is he?" she asked.  The trio looked around and there was Pop Cat walking yards behind them, head in the air, not a care in the world.

"Bert" she called, "Can you catch up and walk with us please."

Bert ambled over to where the three of them had stopped.  "Just admiring the birds" he said.  "I wondered where you three had got to."

"You're always the same" scolded Momma Cat, "we go out as a family and who is the one we lose?  Not Tommy, not Sheba but you!  You are a grown up and yet I have to keep tabs on you the whole time."

"Sorry my dear" said Bert with a shrug of his shoulders and a grin on his face.  "You know you love me though, warts and all.  It's my head!  Not only does my mind wander ... sometimes it walks off completely."

"Hmm," said Momma Cat, pretending to be a little angry, "I guess I knew when I married you, and now, two kittens later and you are just the same."

"Sorry love," Bert said, "come on and I'll, treat us all to a nice bowl of cream over there.  Race you to the entrance."

Previously painted page (acrylics) and Lavinia stamps for foliage.

Posting early because I am having problems with the internet and have had to go out of doors to do this.

WOYWW 756

 Well ... it's nearly December now - will be on Friday but I don't suppose you want reminding.  I just hope you all got your cards finished now and maybe even the shopping that doesn't have to be done too near the time.  Hope Cindy had a good show at her craft fair and that LLJ is having a whale of a time with the 'sisters'.

As for me, I feel as if I am ahead of myself for once.  Not done any shopping but hopefully that will be done this week and the menu planned.  As for crafting, well there is nothing at all to show you on my desk, it's not clean and tidy as in spick and span but it is tidy.

Sort of anyway, my table above just has the paper on it that I have had underneath my stamping and the dirty inky binky (as Jo calls hers) which is a bit of old towelling I clean inky messes with.  Below is my counter which just has my laptop on it, and other inky binky and my hill masks plus a little project I am hoping to do shortly - well finish off really.

Two weeks ago I showed you my Advent Calendar that I was making for my other half.  Well, it is finished and each little box opens and contains a little gift (nothing exciting, mainly chocolates and the odd bar of soap - the latter because I was desperate).  Here it is (I wonder how many recognise the paper)

Luckily I found a sheet with little squares on, the exact size needed and cut out 12 of those (ie the 12 Days of Christmas) so I only had to do another 12 pictures myself.  It wasn't easy finding stamps small enough to put on the squares 1.75" amongst my old stamps but I made it, just!  Am hoping to start another soon but for next year.

Well, that's all from me, over to Ms Julia, head desker in this quest.  See you later.

Jeudi Journal - Shy?

 "People think I'm shy, but I really just have no interest in talking to idiots" is the not so nice Snarky Comment from the Tim Holtz book this week.  So coupled with Jo's theme ofd "Nature" for Art Journal Journey we have the following page and story.

I began colouring the sky with Broken China Distress Oxide and one of those round applicators but the pain in my hand got so intense I just had to stop.  I really must get something done about this arthritic thumb of mine.  I then went over it with blue acrylic paint and some grey I mixed at the base of the page to represent the roadside.  Stamps are a mixture of Lavinia and Aalll & Create.

"Josie had decided to go into town to see the Christmas lights and the tree she had heard so much about.  It was just getting on the edge of darkness and the little birds were darting around the tree, I wonder if they were waiting for it to be lit up as well? 

Billy, a boy in her class who she knew had a crush on her was there too, and she uttered "Bother" under her breath.

"Did you call me your brother" piped up Billy.  His face grinning at her as he asked.

"No, I did not" said Josie, "I never spoke to you, I see enough of you each day in class at school"  and she turned her back on him.

"Did you come to see the lights on the tree, or are you doing some Christmas shopping" he asked.

"Err, I came to see the tree and, err, meet up with some friends" Josie replied, muttering up to heaven for forgiveness as that was a complete lie.

"Anybody I know?" asked Billy, persistence was his middle, name.

"Hmm .. no ... it's someone you don't know, he's not from school."  Was that a lie, or could it be called a fib which is not as bad as a lie, is it?  Oh, goodness, why did I say that, now I've got myself in a right pickle, she thought to herself.

"I'll wait with you if you want", said Billy, "If he doesn't come I know how shy you are and you won't want to be standing around town on your own will you?"

At that Josie started to feel a little het up.  She had already told a couple of lies and she really was not the type of girl who lied her way out of things.  How do I deal with this she asked herself.

"People think I'm shy, but I really just have no interest in talking to idiots." she blurted out.  "What on earth gives you the right to think I am shy?  You see me every day at school, am I shy then?  Am I? " By this time she was getting herself in a state, mainly because of the lies she knew she had told.  

"You know what?  You can stand here all night if you want, but me, I'm going." and with that Josie took off, lights or no lights there would be another night.  And hopefully, no Billy."

WOYWW 755

 Gosh these Wednesday's come around too quickly for my liking at the moment, but I must admit it is Tuesday evening and I am shattered. The only nice thing is I get to check out Julia's and WOYWW friends desks each Wednesday.  I just dare not show you mine today.  Do you really want to peek?  OK then, I warn you though, it is a bit of a mess and there is no evidence of any work having been done despite having made a birthday card for my little sister in Oz.  Can't show it to you yet as she does come on here now and again so I don't want to ruin the surprise.  Oh and the Advent Calendar thing is finished but it now needs filling.

Ready?

Main part of desk (counter top) and to the right of it (where it turns the corner) below

and my little table

dies that were in the box

In my wisdom I decided it was about time I sorted the final box of dies I had not taken to the club that I was raising money for Alzheimers with.  These are dies I was asked to dispose of and which I have been taking to our club where the members have kindly donated money for the charity in honour of my friend who is suffering with the dreadful disease.

The first photo shows that I found the box was full of polymer stamps.  I have been trying to sort them into some kind of category - words flowers, animals, alphabets, etc - you get the drift.  My counter is an L-shape and so it goes around the corner and the second photo is that bit of the counter.  The third is my little table that I work at.  That ended up with some dies on that were in the same box - loads of odd ones that probably started life in a set.

Tomorrow I will bag them all up but for now I have just closed the door.  Sadly my friend no longer knows me and visiting is heartbreaking with the various moods she goes through but I owe her so much.

We first met at cake icing and then later we were instrumental in setting up the Bury branch of the Cake Decorating Guild (forgotten the actual name now).  A few years later she introduced me to papercrafting - first Parchment Craft and then embossing from which my love of making things stems.  Our lives became entwined in many ways as our other halves got on so well together and shared a love of walking and her youngest son and I became good friends 'at the sink' whenever they had parties.

Sadly her husband passed some years ago but we still continued a close friendship.  Even when her mind had started to go her son and her sister warned me she would not know me but she shouted "66" (her pet name for me because of where I used to live) as soon as she heard my voice.  Not now I am afraid.  So up to now I have sent £100 to Alzheimers and hopefully soon I will be able to send more.

Right, bedtime, I need to sleep ready to face this lot tomorrow.  See you next week with my Christmas cards all done and ready to post.

Jeudi Journal - Sarcastic

 "I'm not great at advice.  May I interest you in a sarcastic comment?"  That is the quote we are using today, from Tim Holtz' |Snarky comment book.  So matching it with Jo's theme "Nature" at Art Journal Journey I have the following page in my journal and a story to accompany it.

"Coco was a cute little spotty dog belonging to Adele who was in love with Scot the Terrier from next door.  She loved to play with Scot whenever possible but he never seemed to notice her as a good looking young lady dog.  Her mistress, Adele, and his master, Billy, were the best of friends.  Had been since schooldays and so they spent a lot of time together which allowed the two dogs lots of time to play or just sit and watch tv with the humans.

"If only I was a human" said Coco to herself one day, I could write to an agony aunt in one of the magazines and see what advice they could offer.  She looked at herself in the mirror on the wardrobe door in Adele's bedroom, "hmm .. wonder if it's because one eye looks a bit bigger than the other one?" she muttered to herself, "or is it the colour?  No, can't be the latter, he loves green.  It was only the other day he said how nice my new boots looked and they are green.  Just wish he'd notice the colour of my eyes."

Just then Adele shouted "Coco, come on, we are off to the park."

Coco scampered down the stairs and waited patiently for her lead to be attached to her collar and off the two of them went.

Once in the park, Adele let her off the lead and Coco ran around, sniffing at the newly fallen leaves that lay like a carpet over the grass.  Oh she loved autumn when the leaves were on the ground and they rustled as she walked and ran through them.  It was fun trying to catch them as well when they fell from the trees.

Oops!  She skidded to a halt,  There in front of her sat Big Bruno, one of the largest and oldest dogs around.  

"Hi" he said, in his gruff voice, "what are you up to today little Coco?"  And the two of them sat and started to chat.  

It was then that Coco thought "agony aunt?  agony uncle?  What is the difference?  Maybe Bruno, with all his years experience could help her in her quest for love."  So she began chatting about Scot, the boy dog next door and her love for him.

"Oh dear" said Bruno, "I'm not great at advice.  May I interest you in a sarcastic comment?"

Coco was a little taken aback and she shuffled her feet in the leaves, "no, I just hoped you would be able to help but obviously you are not interested so I'll thank you and be on my way."

"Sorry" said Bruno, "My arthritis is bothering me a bit today so I'm afraid I am a bit grumpy.  Now what was it you wanted advice on young 'un.  Come and sit down and tell old Bruno again.  You want to know how to get the lad next door interested is that it?"

  

For this page I used Peeled Paint Oxide ink over the whole page and then I used some Lavinia stamps for the two trees (Tree of Courage and Tree of Hope) either side and scrunched paper up using red, yellow and orange ink to imitate autumn leaves on the trees and ground.  I finished off with a fir tree stamped in first and second generation to give the appearance of distance.

WOYWW 754

 Today has caught up with me whilst in a state of oblivion as to what day of the week it is.  Saturday was club day, Sunday we binge watched 'The Long Shadow' and then yesterday I flashed on with Christmas Cards and actually made some inners.

I would love to continue with what we began making at the club, it was a super day with Alexis as our tutor having worked so hard to make it easy for us to make an Advent Calendar Book.  I so would love to finish it but felt that my Christmas Cards had to come first so that I can get the ones for abroad in the post quickly, but need to make a birthday card for my little sister in Oz who has a birthday on the 2nd January.  She always gets the two cards together.  The Advent Book is going to be for my other half because he never gets one and this is made with lots of love just for him.  Here's a sneak peek at the start of it, you get the picture, more boxes needed:

Really you came here to see my desk so to comply with WOYWW and here it is, just a bit of a dumping ground at the moment

You probably see the above as fairly tidy, there is lots of room afterall - but that is because I am spreading all over the house.  My Christmas cards are now all piled up on the dresser in the hallway

Twenty Five Christmas cards all done and waiting for me to put the inserts in - if you look to the left you will see that I have even dressed the envelopes.  The inserts are on top of some of the cards waiting to be stuck in. 

I have sent one Christmas card off to a very dear friend (there was a reason for it to be so early) and I forgot to take a scan so I am hoping she will scan it for me at some time.  Anyway, in talking to her, via email, I decided that I will carry on making cards, as I am enjoying doing them, and any that I do not send I will let the Salvation Army or someone have them to distribute to old folks who live on their own.  I am appalled at the cost of posting cards and just feel that a lot of lonely people who live on their own probably look forward to seeing a card or two on their window sill and that is one way maybe I can bring joy to some of them.  

I would like to think that other card. makers can make one or two extras for some such worthy cause as that.  I know I will from now on.

Well, that is it, see you all next week and hopefully I will have done all my Christmas cards and maybe even be thinking about going shopping.  I have just not been in the mood as yet but need to be.  Anyone else like that?

Jeudi Journal - Been There

"Been there, done that.  Then been there several more times, because apparently I never learn" is the rather lengthy quote from Tim Holtz this week that we are using.  How many of you have said that time and time again?  As it is such a lengthy quote I think I will have to type it out and stick it on my page - visions of nothing but writing otherwise.  So where shall I begin with my story for linking to Art Journal Journey and the lovely Jo's challenge - Nature.?

"Paige wanted so much to be an actress, to be on the stage, on TV or in the films - anything!  It all started when she had a small part in the school play when she was ... a tree!  That was Junior School.  When she went to High School she could not wait to join the drama club.  In her five years at High School she was content to just simply join in and be part of anything as long as she was on the stage, but as she grew up and went to college, with drama as her main subject, she realised she wanted far more than that.  Auditions were taking place for "Annie" and so she decided to try for the main part.  What could she do that would make her stand out from the rest?  Especially that Jayne Johnson who everyone knew was Miss Davis's favourite pupil and who was certain to get the lead.

Paige went home that evening via the local pharmacy.  She had a little pocket money left over and now she had the perfect plan that would help her, along with her acting, to secure the role of Annie.  Mum wouldn't be home until later as she had to take Billy to his football match and dad was working late, it was the perfect night to hatch her plan.

So armed with her purchase she dashed in, looked around, the coast was clear and so she hurried upstairs to the bathroom and put her plan into action.

Imagine mum's surprise when when arrived home to find Paige lying down in the garden in an obvious state of upset.  Tears coursed down her face, she had a hat firmly planted on her hair and was obviously most distressed.

"What on earth is the matter?" asked mum as she stepped into the garden.  "And what have you done to your hair?"

"Oh mum, I wanted to audition for the part of Annie in two days time at college and so I thought if I dyed my hair red I would look like Annie to begin with and maybe, just maybe, the part would be mine.  I'm a good actress aren't I?  Gran is always saying I should be on the stage."

"Oh come here" said mum gently.  "There was no need for you to do that to your hair.  You are a brilliant little actress and you would be a great addition to any amateur production.  But dyeing your hair red!  Don't you think that's a step too far?"

"But I just felt I needed that little extra this time.  Something to clinch the deal.  Been there, done that.  Then been there several more times because apparently I never learn.  This was going to be it."

"Let's get you inside and I'll ring aunty Angela, she used to be a hairdresser and she will know exactly what we can do to get rid of this red hair.  I don't think Annie had hair that red do you?"  And with that, mum put her arm around her daughter's shoulders and steered her indoors.  Her sister would know exactly what to do to return Paige to her lovely fair haired natural beauty."

WOYWW 753

 Another Wednesday and now we are into November and that means Christmas is on the horizon.  I hope most of you are a step nearer than I am.  Oh, I did do the Christmas cake last week and you saw I had made a start on my Christmas cards - done a few more since then but mostly in the same design.  Bought a few stocking fillers (chocolates) for my other half in the hope that he will have forgotten all about them by Christmas time as he was with me when I bought them.

We are away at the moment, home later today as I need to source a consultant.  Got a cutaneous horn on my right cheek and the nhs appointment has come through for the 3rd May next year - can't live like this until then so dipping into my savings.  Read the bios of the consultants at our local private hospital but still no idea which to choose.  Do I go off who looks the kindest?  The one who looks to be softest with me?  The one with most letters behind his name?  Help!!!!  I'll let you know how I go on.

So my desk this week has to be either the dining table or the coffee table.  Then there are some things on the dressing table in the bedroom and, of course ... I have filled one bed in the spare room with crafting goodies.  Here is the coffee table with my stash of what I seem to be using:

Left to right back row - stamps, dotty bag with pens in, tissues, glue, Stickles, waterpot, ink pad.  Next row cutter, towel on top (for wiping stamps) more stamps in boxes, pens, Inktense pencils, scrap paper on a foam mat.  In the fruit bowl I have balanced my stencil brush and my ink pad.

Nothing on the dining table as we will be eating shortly but on the mantle-piece are my cards to date.  The ones from last week have grown in number to eight

I must have done the owl ones earlier and I have lots of hats aif I want to do more.   But now am doing some longer ones similar to last weeks. The two on the right are just the images waiting to be finished and dressed before they go on to a card base.  I don't know what to do about the tree at the back?  Do I add colour to it or just leave it?  It does have coloured baubles on it.

Thursday we went to Sizergh to see the trees in their autumnal dresses and found we were too late for the Acers.  Most had dropped all of their leaves.  However it was a lovely day out as always.

Just look at all the different coloured leaves on that one tree.  Shame that red barrier was there and I cannot photoshop it out ) 'cos I don't know how to).

On Saturday I went to a workshop with my lovely friend from Ulverston.  We made a pretty and useful  birthday book but it isn't finished yet as I want to do a lot more to it but Christmas is encroaching on my time.  I hope to show it to you later.  Maybe after Christmas (lol) just in time for the new year to start off with a list of birthdays.

Will leave it there for this week.  Now to see what Ms Julia has been up to and see what the other members of the WOYWW Gang have been doing.

Jeudi Journal - Coffee?

Today the quote is "Coffee has given me unrealistic expectations of productivity" and Art Journal Journey's theme is by the lovely Jo and is all about Nature so in order to marry the two together for my Jeudi Journal post I looked up where coffee comes from and found this interesting fact - I quote:

"The question of "where did coffee originate" is one of legends and folklore.  The most common story is that of the ancient coffee forests on the Ethiopian plateau, where a goat herder named Kaldi first ate  berries from a peculiar looking tree.    The berries gave him a jittery, wide-awake feeling, that he had never experienced before.  From there, the power of coffee spread like wildfire.  Today coffee beans are one of the worlds most important agricultural commodities with millions of coffee plants cultivated in over seventy plus countries around the globe."

I had no idea that "coffee comes from a woody plant that can grow up to 10 metres tall, the beans developing inside a 'cherry' that grows from these plants and the coffee bean we know is actually a seed inside this cherry",  and so my page today is all about coffee which is at the centre of my story.

"Penny had always been a hard worker.  As what task she had to perform it was always done with 110%.  Take for example when she was at school, all her friends did their study as and when they wanted, they still had lots of time to go out and enjoy hanging about with one another and going dancing and to the cinema.  But not Penny.  Penny was not to be seen when study was needed in order to pass those vital exams.  She was only seen through her bedroom window studying hard, cramming as much as she could and coming away with lots of A's, some A*'s and a smattering of B's.  Her parents were so proud of her.

It came as no surprise to anyone when she was the one who secured an apprenticeship at the local Accountants, she flew through the interview with flying colours, and, of course, those amazing exam results.  She was a Trainee Accounting Technician at an early age and wanted to carry on with her studies to become an Assistant Accountant.

The thing was, Penny lived on coffee.  She rarely had a cup of coffee out of her hands.  It was coffee that had allowed her to stay up into the small hours of the night carrying on with her studying.  And so the day of her final examinations came ... and went ... and she didn't make the grade.  She failed her exams.

Penny was devastated and could see no reason at all why she had not passed as she had done in the early years.  And so she had to find someone to blame.  It wasn't her fault.  It must have been the coffee!  

"Coffee has given me unrealistic expectations of productivity" she said out loud to herself.  "I really believed if I could only stay awake in the wee small hours and study I would make it."  She took a long hard look at herself in the mirror.  There was only one thing she could do.  So armed with her shopping bag she set off for the local supermarket to buy herself several packets of tea.  "If coffee was my downfall I will try tea" she said to herself, and off she went to try a different drink and see if that worked any better at helping her and her expectations."

I really did find it difficult to marry the two challenges together and to begin with I did a little research on coffee and so I printed out some pictures of the bush that coffee comes from.  These were used to decorate my page to fit in with Jo's 'Nature' theme at AJJ.  Rather than cut the sprigs out I used them in a border down the side of the page like the tea cards we used to do in challenges when I first began stamping.  I hope Jo feels my page qualifies for her challenge ande I look forward to thinking about next week's page which I might find has an easier quote.

I have been meaning to show Valerie my latest t-shirt as I am sure she will love it but I kept forgetting all during October.  Now it fits in here perfectly with my page.  So just for Valerie I give you my winter t-shirt:

It really is pale blue, looks grey?