Nearly Home Time - Long Post

I have never known a month's visit go by quicker than this one.  It doesn't seem two minutes since we were being met at the Flyway by Mary and Maria and in a couple of days time we will be being dropped off there.  Not just 'bye' to our friends but also 'bye' to the sunshine and 'hello' to the cold weather in Britain (and no doubt more snow and lots of rain and little sunshine even in the summer).

Anyway, you didn't come on here to hear that - these are some of the highlights from our trip
I am surprised I did not show you photos from the 'Swap Meet' we went to on the first Sunday we were here.  Neal and Maria took us in Maria's car (I felt like we were Thelma and Louise when Maria drove) - here it is with Chas and myself in, on the drive.

then we met Bob

on his converted cool box!  No kidding - it was full of beer pumps.  A total conversation stopper and the horn when he honked it!!!

More practical ways of getting about were there to video, I loved the carts they used to pull the children in, no doubt later to load up with bargains.  Here's a small one, missed out on the bigger ones.

Later that week we went down to Encinitas for a few days with Mary.  It was glorious weather and we saw some fabulous places, all very different - including a couple of stamp stores.  My first ever Hobby Lobby!  They don't have many on the west coast but I guess they are starting to creep in

don't you love this decorated number plate

Honouring their young folks at Rancho Cucamonga

 where Hobby Lobby is

Time to move on `and visit Poway, they have a stamp store!   And this lovely house?

The stamp store is here

Fab workshops on display

Then on to Temecula

with its trolley bus

and lovely shops

Indian Shop

with left over Christmas Trees

and old jail

and look at this name

Sorry if this is photo overkill but ...
I loved Temecula

OK

Phew!  That was day one.  Look at this bush

Day Two and Breakfast at

The Potato Shack

outside

and my Breakfast Burrito

well, what was left of it!

A peek at Swami Beach

Spencer loved it

and on to Carlsbad and Oceanside

 Antiques

Best of all - Gigi's

A fabulous stamp store in Oceanside where I got a Dylusion Stamp Set.  What a lovely lady Gail was to talk to.  Here she is with her husband and that is Mary stood at the counter.  She has a really big shop fully of goodies.  If you are ever in the area ...

Goodnight - enjoy the sunset

Stamping Time

Hi, still all muddled up with this eight hour time difference.  It is morning here so I am right in thinking it is Sunday evening over the water (home to me), I think.

Yesterday was Stamping Day, I could not believe how many people came, it was crowded in the kitchen when I peeked around the corner.  Didn't have time to get my camera out until later so missed the crowds as they had spread all around the house.  Some in the two dining areas, some in the family room, some in the lounge and some in the kitchen as well as the stamp room area.

Food, Glorious Food!

Here's one of the cards I made

Actually made this one this morning but using one of the techniques. Will scan my other cards and upload them another day, in the meantime I hope you enjoyed seeing the people enjoying themselves and at least you got to see one card even if it was done this morning.

See you later!

Artful Times Challenge 22 - Gung Hay Fat Choy

Well the Chinese New Year falls this month and this time it is the Year of the Snake.  Sadly, by three days I miss out on the celebrations in Los Angeles as I am heading for home on the 7th.  Not to worry, Manchester does a fair job of celebrating with firecrackers and dancing dragons so no doubt I will make my way there.

I chose the theme for this Challenge as I love anything and everything to do with China.  As a child my father used to take me to the library to help him choose a travel book, but as where he said he wanted one depicting he always came home with one on China picked by me.  Then a few years ago I was fortunate enough to have a holiday there.  A ten day tour of mainland China and five days in Hong Kong.  It really was my holiday of a lifetime.

Ah well, happy memories, but what have I got for you today?

This is a card that Mary (my friend in America with whom I am still staying - yes I have been here three weeks and have one more to go) made at CHA with the Hero Arts team.  The grey parts are actually rice paper mounted on black rectangles.  Love that stamp she has used, hopefully it will appear shortly in the Hero Arts line.

I added a little Mizihuki (not sure on the spelling) knot that I made, it is very tiny.

Am now going to share another card which fits in with the theme that I have made using a Stamping Up set of Mary's.  Again a technique I have learned since arriving here.  Mary and her daughter, Carrie, have been making these cards and they are delightful.  Here is mine with an Asian theme.

So Gung Hay Fat Choy to you all (means Best Wishes and Congratulations.  Have a Prosperous and Good Year).  Hope you all join in with us with the Chinese celebrations in the meantime enjoy Chinatown in LA which I visited with Neal and Maria yesterday.

One of the stalls in the Chinese Market which is in the Plaza.

A herb shop on the main street in Chinatown.

Getting ready for weekend - lanterns, wall hangings and firecrackers.

In fairness I have to show the whole of this notice 

but the top part made me smile.

WOYWW 191

Well, here I am - still in America and today the sun has been shining but there has been quite a wind blowing so don't be too envious of me being here.  It's not exactly sun bathing weather.

Thanks to all of you who have been keeping a watchful eye on my blog, apologies I have not had the time to reciprocate but I will make up for it when I get home between the sleeps caused by jet lag.   Only just over a week now before I head for home.   The time has gone by so quickly and I have not done all the things I was going to but I have enjoyed myself so much.

Here's my desk today

Can't show you the cards I have been making as they are in another room in readiness for Saturday's Stamp Camp and my feet are aching so much.  It's a long trek from the Stamping Room to Mary's Retreat!  You can see some of the boxes ready for the day in the foreground of this "long" shot of the desk/table.

Here is something made earlier though

I think Maureen from Oregon (Hi Maureen) originally sent this to Mary so Mary's daughter, Carrie, showed me how to make one.  Would look nice on top of a gift box to someone or hung on the tree at Christmas.  An idea for Vicky Stampers!

And here is a bracelet made at CHA under the guidance of Julianna Hudgins who has had a bead loom made to enable this to be done so much quicker and easier.  Watch out for it from Beadon (I think that is the company who are doing it).  I got one of only fifty given out at the show.  Whoo Hoo! (So did Donna and Jennie).

That's it for now folks, off to a Stamp Shop tomorrow to see Stacey.  She does some fab You Tube presentations - hope she is at the shop.

Take care all of you, Stay safe and keep tuning in to WOYWW to see what everyone is about.

ps have been living with these two cuties for the past few days

Shelby

Haley

Missing the "licks" already.

And a Few More Cards

Trying to play "catch up" but not being very successful, am at least a week behind all the activities  but thought I would share a couple of cards I have made at my friend Marys.

This was for Russ's birthday which was yesterday.  Funny, and I had no idea, they live on part of Route 66, or near to it.

This was for Joceylyn who was 8 on Saturday - we went to her birthday party but I didn't go on the Bouncy Castle.

There's a little book which opens at the top to reveal a couple of pictures.  I really wanted to do it like a card I had seen at one of the shops but for the life in me I could not get it to work.

Page 1 of the little book at the top

page 2 of the little book

Must go, things to do, will show you more tomorrow.  Thanks for watching and "hi" and "thanks" to my newest followers.  Will be having a give away soon for my followers.

A Little Bit of Crafting

Well, I am so mixed up in my room that I cannot find all of my things I made/started at CHA so I will show you a smattering and give you an interlude of what I have been doing.  We are busy preparing for a workshop for next Saturday so there are lots of papers to be cut, samples to be made and it is busy busy busy here in the house.

This is a can I made with Viva Paints.

It was a simple old can, like the kind that you get your baked beans in in England.  We then painted it with Luminarte Silks (love those paints) put some Viva products on, cut out a picture, some shells and adhered them to it.  Sloshed a bit more paint on (technical term of mine), tied string around the top, died a piece of ribbon and attached the wire at the top when it was dry.

Oops!  Forgot the cogs.

love the idea - watch out Vicky Stampers

Remember the party I went to last week, well here is the card I made for Robert.

it had a few tags inside

and on the cover

Love the spinner on the back

That's going to have to be it for today as Mary is calling and I have things to do before I set off for the party.  Tomorrow is Ventura so if I can I will post, if not will post Monday.

Take care, especially friends and family in the UK where I hear the snow is bad.  Drive safely!