Junk Journal (JayJay) - with Lorraine

In an attempt to get us both motivated Lorraine and I have decided to do a "Junk Journal" - neither of us having done one of these before. We decided to use the Eileen Hull die to make our Journal cover but as mine is not yet finished (ahem ... started really) I began by making my signatures and doing my very first page.

How lucky that it just fits in with the sizing for "Art Journal Journey" as each page (single side) is 4 1/4" x 8".  Really good to see that Erika chose to do "Vintage or modern" which fits in really well with our requirement for our first page which had to include some lace.  So many of my friends have been enjoying entering and telling me about this blog challenge that I just knew I had to join in, albeit a bit late.

So here we have Marie wearing her best hat and gloves as she prepares to journey from Paris to her beloved who is waiting for her to join him.  

I was really pleased because this page has allowed me to use a piece of lace from a tag that my dear friend Mary once made me.  Now I can keep it safe in my 'JayJay' and have a constant reminder of someone I miss so very much.  As time goes on I hope I can keep many of my memories in this way.

Jeudi Journal - Who Left the Bag of Idiots Open

Back to Wendy's choice again with "Who left the bag of idiots open" and once more, no magical background from me.  Instead I had a page that had been ruined by my using Promarkers to colour in and it had bled through to the other side and so I decided to use it with just black paint.  Nothing covers like Dylusion black paint.

I remembered I had put a small bag away in my 'collage' box only the other day and I thought it was brown on the inside so I went in search of it.  Thank goodness I had put it away.  A bit of clipping to give it a bit of shape and then to fill it with ???  I went through a medley of figures and finally came up with the dogs plus some 'hats' from my Crazy Birds.  A bit of border to use as streamers to fill in with the party mood and then a big bulldog with slippers on - dicky bow, glasses and ladies hat?  The idea here is "Who looks the daftest"?

WOYWW 493

Another week has gone by and at last the carpet has been cleaned so we should be able to get back to some (and I do emphasise the word "some") semblance of normality.  At least the furniture can go back into the lounge now but then we have to get the bedroom emptied and ourselves moved into the spare room for the main bedroom to be fitted and a new floor to be laid.  Despite not making any Christmas cards I cannot wait for the season to be here - we should be living in a normal home by then.

Here is my desk today:

OK still no "C" word cards as yet but I did get two birthday cards made.  I just fell in love with this stamp a while ago (January in America to be honest) - it tickled my sense of humour and so two lucky (??) people got these cards for their birthdays on the 10th and 11th November.  Both were delivered by me to the Vicky Stampers but unfortunately I still did not feel well enough to stay - I had packed my bag ready and even put a sandwich up.  Felt so bad letting my bff down as she had saved me a seat next to her but by the time I got there I was feeling sickly again.

You can also see a couple of stamps out that I intend to use some time in my journal for the Thursday challenge I have with Wendy.  There is the list below showing all the topic names for the coming weeks.

Hope I can make it on Sunday to Leigh Show as I have planned on this being my last - retirement at last from demo'ing.  Getting a bit long in the tooth for keeping bubbling and enthusing for a full day with an early start.  I will miss folks but hopefully will be able to go and have a look around and a chat to my favourite vendors.

In the meantime I am linking to Julia and going for a nose to see what other deskers have been up to.

Hugs for now, and BTW, the missing gift?  I ordered something else for my friend and half the order came, the other half is still outstanding.  Not to be put off or too disappointed I wrapped the 'half' a gift up ready to go next day.  Then I asked Chas to get my tote out of the garage (remember so much has been put away because of the lounge) and on opening it there it was - her proper gift!!!  I had put it in there in readiness for packing for the club.  Relief and annoyance took a swipe at one another - I am so annoyed I did not think to look in there before - but I am sure I did!!!

Jeudi Journal

Another already done Journal page background where I have just used a figure and the words for today - "Out of My Way ... I have my Sassy Britches on!" - this time my choice.  I was a bit upset that I used a Kate Crane page for my rendition but it was already done and I did not feel like painting and I was unsure what I would do with it anyhow.  You might recognise Kate's style here.

Hopefully this coming week will see me making a background myself in the journal and then I can get back into the swing of doing these journal pages although when I am going to even think "Christmas" I just don't know as yet.  We have still got furniture piled up in all the rooms of the house as the carpet has to be cleaned and treated first.  Roll on January!

WOYWW 492

Here we are again - another Wednesday and, for me, another empty desk.  Feeling much better but still no crafting done as such and certainly no "C" Cards yet.  Beginning to doubt there ever will be this year.  We now have had the lounge ceiling re-plastered, painted and are awaiting the carpet being cleaned before furniture can be moved back and the house returned to some kind of normality.  As it stands we are in a "pickle" and cannot find anything.  The hardest thing is that I have put a birthday present away for my bff and have not a clue where.  We have looked and looked but nothing turns up.  Help!  I need to give it to her on Saturday!

Anyway, as I can only show you an empty desk again I decided to take some photos of my wall art in the craft room.  Have to have something interesting to show you:

This is just as you come in through the doorway - the cat is a calendar and not my artwork - if only....

This is above the window which is where my space is for my usual working - just below the window.

This is kind of behind the doorway ... and below is my actual desk today.  Now someone may recognise what is on show.  I have been sticking two pages together in this little notebook to make the pages a bit stronger to take pen and ink drawing.  The writing is what accompanied the book and I intend to reduce it to the size of the book and paste it inside the front cover as a constant reminder of where the book came from.  

As Bugs Bunny used to say "That's All Folks" and so it is over to Julia and her desk to see what she and other WOYWWers have been up to.  Wonder how much "C" Card production has been in swing up and down the world?

Jeudi Journal

This is the start of a new kind of topic for Wendy and myself.  We are taking a quote from Dyan in her Dylusional range and working to that with the picture.  No theme, no colours etc

Sounded good in essence where I could spend my time on the backgrounds which I hadn't been able to previously with the journal challenge as it was.  Then it came to it.  Wendy likes to work her picture to the words so she will probably find it easy but I am floundering.

Not being up to doing any brayer work I chose to use an already completed background page and just chose a couple of figures (again already coloured in and cut out) to place on the page.  So here it is:

WOYWW 491

Another quickie from me and a staged desk taken by my other half just to show you what he bought me last week.

We both sat watching Hochanda on the tv in the bedroom when this little purple number came on.  Well, I went a bundle on the papers (Roaring 20's and me?) and he was rather blown away by the envelopes he saw them making.  Knowing how I struggle to find an envelope for the different sizes of cards I make (do I make cards these days?) he thought it was a wise investment.  I did chip in saying that with all the paper I have there would never be a shortage of what to make them with.

And so to cheer me up he sent off for it for me.  Haven't looked at it as yet but no doubt when I do I will have a ball.

You will have noticed my posts have been rather short recently and may have wondered why, well, my back went again.  I have been going back to the Chinese doctor for the past month but as up to now it has not made much difference.  Still it took 5 sessions last year so I am optimistic.  The only reason why I am telling you all of this is that I missed out on visiting Sarah in her Craft Shed on Sunday because of my back and other things.  Not just that but I have anemia again and then i developed peripheral oedema.  That has a funny story though.

Last week when I went for my acupuncture he put a needle in my leg, as usual, and I noticed my foot was feeling sticky as I made my way home.  Chas had a look and I had a little fountain on the side of my leg - I was leaking!!  Dressings were soaked in no time so I went to bed with a rather large pad strapped over the fountain.  Very resourceful if you get my meaning.

My list of woes does not finish there - I changed from Warfarin to Apaxaban just over a week ago and have come up with one of the side effects. I feel as if I have millions of little spiders crawling all over my skin, I am itching like crazy - the only person in the whole of our town who has got this side effect according to the clinic.

Whinges over - at least I have got it out in the open so you now know why I have been quiet these past few weeks.

Now lets all hop over to see Julia and her deskers.