Friday's Smile

Did it again!  Forgot to post on Friday so here I am catching up with Annie at her Friday's Smile Blog page.

Yesterday my lovely friend, Paul, came over to spend the day with me (and Chas).  Home made soup was on the simmer as he walked in with these gorgeous roses for me.  And some Cola Bottle sweeties. (Chas has never ever bought me roses, although in his defence I must say he does buy me flowers, and Paul knows this so it was an especially wonderful thought).  They made me smile.

I had asked Paul to help me with my Journaling, Teesha Moroe style, and as I had bought some magazines from Ebay for this sole purpose we set to with a small selection of them.  Paul was away ... he just knew what to look for and whilst I pondered and slowly worked through a couple of mags he went through the remaining half a dozen or s like a dose of salts.

Not finished - and not to everyone's taste I know - but here is where I got up to yesterday.  Still got to write on my page(s) but I smile every time I look at Ryan Gosling and think how I turned him into a female.

Now I must dash as it is Vicky Stampers today and I am doing my Crazy Birds workshop so beware - lots of photos of the cards I didn't show you coming up in a day or two.

Keep smiling!

366 WOYWW Thinking of You Julia

Another week has flown by, hopefully Julia is beginning to get better - our very best wishes and tons of love are with you Julia.

Well, working backwards I went to a Carabelle workshop in Coventry on Sunday with Lorraine and we did lots (and I mean lots) of masking. Came home with this 12 x 12 picture that I made. We only used one colour of Brusho and one of Distress Ink to colour the background. Luckily we were allowed more colours of DI's to colour the additional bits in later.  Funny thing is my class on Saturday is using entirely Distress Inks (well you know me and my love affair with them).

We were in groups of four to a table and each table had oodles of stamps to choose from so there were lots of opportunities to make each piece individual.  We started by doing a practice piece on some paper and I have since used elements of this to make a birthday card

Well, it has been beautiful, although last night we had a terrific thunder storm.  Just what was needed though to clear the air and make for a good night's sleep.

Earlier in the week I got a few lovely surprises in the mail

Thank You so very much Zsuzsa I will certainly have fun with these and I am honoured to have your gelli printed background envelope along with the things for me to play with.

Then we have my atc'a from RosA (Kookaburra) and Sandra de (painted flower) along with even more goodies.  Where did you find such tiny cogs as these RosA?  Love all those diecuts and I am chuffed to bits I have one of Sandra's paintings now.  I just love that card with the postcard of the famous bridge on it am sure everyone who sees it will love it.

and Soojay

Well, you really came on here to see my desk.  No, I am not taking advantage of Julia being off the scene for a while, wouldn't do that to Jan.  So here it is:

Been cutting lots of images out ready for my journal.  Did a few stampings at my friend Wendy's when I went down the other week and I just cut and cut whilst watching tv in the evenings.  Daytime? Still doing prep for my workshop on Saturday hence the stencil in the foreground (courtesy of my friend in America - another story). Everyone will be getting Crazy Bird Birthday.Get Well/Thank You cards from now until next year - well, I think the first twelve I have to send out.

Now, please pop along to see my lovely friend Jan who is looking after WOYWW whilst Julia recuperates from her operation.  Thanks and love to Jan for keeping us all going and love to Julia, wishing you well.

A Friday Smile on Saturday - Oops!

Was out all day yesterday with a friend and her daughter so was 'cream crackered' by the time I got home and cooked dinner etc.  So sorry, I am late Annie with my Friday smile (two weeks on the trot, can you believe it?) which has to be one of my Crazy Bird cards, I just enjoy doing the so much. Guess most of my friends and family will be getting CB cards from now on.

Used my favourite inks - Distress - for the backgrounds and also to colour the birds in - they are part of my sample pack to give ideas to our group next week who are going to "get distressed with me".
Here goes, hope they make you smile too

Both of these are similar to ones I did for the Oyster Retreat but a lot more colourful and I used my favourite new stencil on the last one.

Just one more for today

Keep smiling, the sun is about.

365 WOYWW or Days In the Year

Again I have been thinking!  Guess I should not.  (ie reason for heading)

Here we are and it is WOYWW 365, the week following the great ATC swap.  I just hope I got all of mine out to the right people, certainly got some lovely goodies back and so without further ado I present for you the ATC Collection from "moi"

Lovely!

Working left to right Annie, Jo, Jan, a threesome from Angela then Julia, Shaz and last but certainly not least, my swapping buddy - Anne C.  Aren't they lovely?  It was so nice to get post like this.  Got a lovely little rhyme with the sisters cards - a postcard from Julia - a card from Jan and some cute wooden cats from Anne C.  Thank you ladies.  All lovely works of art for me to keep and remember you all by.  If anyone who should have had an ATC from me didn't get one please shout as I still have three left and I got myself in a real old muddle last week - is it old age or too much on my mind?

Will leave it there for this week, a bit shorter than usual but I must also get my Crazy Bird cards done for my next workshop.  Thought I had enough samples but then realised I was teaching techniques in the morning and none of the cards had the techniques on them so had to do extra.  Doh!

Guess from now on most of my Birthday Cards will be Crazy Bird types.

Right, must get myself off to check on what others have received in the way of ATC's later this morning.  If you want to nosey too, go along to LLJ's blog where you can find the list.  Don't forget to give Julia a word or two though, I am sure she will be reading her blog as soon as she is able to.  A bit of love will go a long long way for her, also, I know we have all been praying for her.  Hope Jan has some news.

Linking to Annie's Smiles with my First Photo

Did say, on Wednesday, I would upload more Paris photos on Thursday but then I had done them the day before - am so muddled this week.  Anyway, here are yet more and the first one did make me smile when I went in the bathroom of our hotel and saw these zingy toiletries.  I just had to bring them home and now I just have to link them to Annie's Smiles.

Zingy Toiletries make you feel happy

Carousel near Eiffel Tower

Sacre Coeur

Loved these flamingoes in this window

Not sure what these works of art were for but the slate explains

The restaurant where we ate on our last evening.

Bonsoir!

WOYWW 364

How strange that this is a special week for WOYWW'ers and it happens to be number 364.  Not that anyone would see a connection but me - I used to live at a number 64 when I was first married - only 300 out.  It is the seventh anniversary and I lived at number 7 when I was a child.  Sorry, I am rambling.  As the doctor would say "it's your age".

May I take this opportunity to say "Hello and Welcome" to my newest followers, Susan, Sandy and Kim.  It was lovely to see your photos on my sidebar, sorry I have not welcomed you before.  Hope I can start doing justice to this blog for you, it has been neglected too long.

Now to business.

Was away last week and so had to get someone to kindly link me (you know who you are - BIG THANK YOU'S) and am away again, staying with a friend for a few days so once more a scheduled post but hopefully one I can link myself this time.  I am in England.  At least I am taking my laptop with me in the hope.

My desk on Sunday, the day before I was setting out was full of atc's, and, even though I kept plodding on with them, I realised I had only three to swap plus the mystery one which would not be revealed until the day.  So if anyone wants to swap I have some here.  Sorry, this year they are just plain atc's, no covers - did not have time to do any.  This is pre finish!

The backgrounds are a PaperArtsy technique - the one we did at club the other week - and I stamped some more Crazy Birds to go on top of them.  Think I am almost Crazy'd out now!

This is my desk now, with all my crafty journal stuff I am taking down to Wendy's along with her birthday present (late but too heavy to post) plus a pan of food to eat when we get there (I insisted, she assured me she could feed me, and she is a good cook so it will be well good) and a tea loaf I just made.

If you visited me last week you saw I was in Paris so here are a few of my snaps:

Nancy, moi, Kim in La Grange

Fab restaurant on Rue de Mouffetard

Touristy bit - Eiffel Tower

Obligatory sign - have to take this every time

Shop window near Palais Royale

Fancy wearing these boots?

Think again - they are made of chocolate.

and 

Flower shop near our hotel

(sorry about the reflection)

Think I should quit loading now, I will do another post on Paris later today (Sunday, remember - I am scheduling) or whenever I get the time.  In the meantime happy swapping to all those doing atc's, thanks winging to LLJ for her taking over the temporary Queenship, love to all AND Special Love and Thoughts and Prayers to Julia who we will all be with in spirit.  Love You Julia!

A Lovely Time in Paris - But Not Like Spring Weather

Tuesday morning saw us setting off for a couple of days in Paris having left our home in the capable hands of one son who is, thankfully, past the 'party" stage.  We were due to meet up with a friend from America for Dinner that evening.  Kim is having a few days in Europe and I hope she is now warmer than she was in Paris because she went on to Rome (her Facebook Photos look as if it is nice weather).

We had a lovely surprise as the friend we stay with when we go to America had sent some money over, with Kim, so that she was actually paying for our meal - isn't that a lovely thought - and a complete surprise.  Thank You!

This is Frank, Nancy and Chas in la Grange on Rue de Mouffetard where we had a lovely meal.

Our last day was the coldest and the wettest so I suggested we rode the Metro for a short while and took some photographs of the interesting Metro Stations.  Here are some of them (well, it is a change from the usual)

Concorde

and a close up

Cluny La Sorbonne

Pont de Neuf

and the weigh machine across the platform

Entrance to Palais Royale

... and for my dear dil a bit of Egyptology

Marie Antoinette

and the most colourful

the Bastille

This one was in relief so I tried to let you see that it was not a flat painting

Didn't get the seventh one which was Abbesses - I think they may have covered the graffiti wall now with pictures - or we tried to exit from the wrong place.  Also, most disappointed that I missed the Arts de Metier station as it is all clad in copper and is based on the writing of Jules Verne.

Hope you enjoyed the pictures as much as I did taking them - perhaps it might give you an idea of how to spend a wet hour or two in Paris.  In the meantime you can read all about them here.