For this, my first foray into Art Journal Journey for a few weeks, I have made a numbers background using Distress Oxides, Picked Raspberry, Salty Ocean, Peacock Feathers and Walnut Stain. This is on account of the challenge being 'numbers' as set by the delightful Matilde. It's good to be back and my background was using the colours above and a spray of water from a Mister Bottle to blur the outlines a little, or a lot.
The stamp was by Tracy Evans and is number 618, Endless Circles - an Aall & Create Stamp. These are extremely good quality stamps and for those amongst you who do not like polymer stamps I can recommend these as being strong and giving a clear image.
"Mrs Cat was on her high horse as usual. Well, who could blame her with Mr Dog as her husband. He was always well turned out but a bit useless when it came to doing things. And he had the knack for breaking things. She couldn't begin to count on her four paws and the four paws of both her children the number of things he had broken over the past year. (That's three times 18 because most cats have five toes on each front paw and four on each back one - a total of 54 toes or broken items!)
It was Tuesday evening and as usual Mrs Cat and Mr Dog were busy making a meal for the four of them. Topsy and Turvy, the twins, were busy playing in the garden. Mrs Cat was trying out a new recipe and, as usual, she was making it up in her head as she went along. She had a rough idea of what she wanted to achieve but was quite happy popping ingredients in as she went along.
"Can you put the rice on to cook" she called to her husband.
"Yes dear" he replied, "the usual amount?"
"Yes, please. In the glass pan as usual"
She had a thing about this glass pan. She had had it for years and years, it was the last of a set of glass pans that a favourite aunt had bought them as a wedding present. Perfect for cooking rice in as it never stuck and the rice came out perfect each and every time.
"I'm just nipping in the dining room to set the table, keep your eye on the stove will you dear" she called. And with that she went off into the next room to set the table.
All of a sudden she heard a loud crash! Followed by silence.
She dashed back into the kitchen, just as the twins came in - and there on the floor was - her favourite pan! The one she had treasured for so long. Its handle in two bits.
"What were you doing" she shouted.
"The handle caught on the mixing bowl it was stood in and it sort of fell on the floor but the handle stayed with me" was Mr Dogs reply.
"You mean you could not be bothered to take the other things from the cupboard to get to the pan and so you juggled with them all resulting in this ... this mess! You know I loved that pan, and you know it meant something to me."
"I'll fix it" said Mr Dog, "a bit of Superglue and it will be as right as rain".
The twins hid behind Mrs Cat's skirt, they sensed the bristling of her whiskers - and the swishing of her tail said it all.
"You be careful what you do and say" she said. "Do you really think some Superglue will hold a pan handle that you are going to lift with the said handle when the pan is full of boiling water and not have a nasty accident? Please just get out of the way. I'm allergic to stupidity - I break out in sarcasm. Just go!"
And with that Mr Dog, knowing he was once again in the dog house, slinked off. "No dinner for me then" he thought as he exited through the door on his way to the local pub for a pint and a pie."
